Collective labour rights for self-employed workers: A human rights-based approach of platform work

My research will focus on the human rights protection of self-employed workers, and specially on workers engaged in the so-called platform economy. This is because they often find themselves in the grey zone between employment and self-employment, an issue that it is certainly not novel. The widespread use of freelance jobs entails the risk of leaving such workers outside the scope of protection of fundamental human rights. Indeed, for instance, freelancers are not free to join trade unions and bargain collectively, as they will be in breach of antitrust laws; they also may be excluded from the prohibition of child labour and discrimination. Whilst a vast literature exists concerning the grey zone between employed and self-employed workers and the need to redefine the scope of labour protection, their human rights protection has not be taken into account to the same extent. Therefore, this is a subject that is essential to pioneer as the increasing spread of forms of freelanching is already creating many frictions between new business models and existing labour core standards.