On Wednesday, 26 June 2024, Jorn Kloostra received his promotion for his thesis: 'De positie van de platformwerker: een onderzoek vanuit het arbeidsrecht en het mededingingsrecht'.
Platform work is a labor model in which temporary workers perform assignments for various clients through online platforms. These assignments range from delivering meals and performing odd jobs to providing professional services such as graphic design and programming. Platform work offers flexibility for both workers and clients, but also raises fundamental questions about labor rights, social protection and job stability. The rise of platform work is changing the traditional labor market and leading to debates about its regulation and impact on society and the economy. This makes the research topic highly relevant.
In his dissertation, Jorn addresses the topic of platform work from both labor and competition law perspectives. He argues that both jurisdictions take a black-and-white approach that is at opposite ends of the spectrum to the way labor relations take shape in platform work. Platform workers exhibit characteristics of both employees and self-employed workers and operate in the gray area between labor and competition law. Moreover, the two areas of law are closely linked. The growth of platform work and the diversity in business models puts pressure on the all-or-nothing approach in both areas of law. In his dissertation, Jorn maps the legal complications and analyzes the topic from the perspective of national and European law.