Global negotiations in Geneva open as Australia's own landmark platform work reforms take full effect
The International Labour Organization has opened what could be the defining fortnight for gig economy regulation globally, launching final negotiations in Geneva on 1 June 2026 on a binding international convention for platform workers — a development that arrives just as Australia’s own landmark reforms are fully operational.
The ILO's standard-setting committee is holding its final discussions from 1–11 June at the 114th International Labour Conference in Geneva, with member states aiming to agree on binding rules and recommendations by the close of next week.
The gig economy nearly doubled in size between 2016 and 2021, according to the ILO, with a market value of roughly $10.2 trillion in 2023. It now counts up to 435 million workers — approximately 12.5 per cent of the global labour workforce, according to the World Bank.
The core dispute
A central sticking point in the Geneva talks is whether protections such as the minimum wage and benefits including healthcare, sick leave, and social security should apply to all workers on these platforms or depend on whether they are classified as employees or self-employed.
Rights organisations say algorithmic management is compounding the problem. “There is a serious problem with transparency and accountability around how algorithms are used to determine pay and performance,” said Lena Simet, senior advisor on economic justice at Human Rights Watch. A May 2026 Human Rights Watch report, Algorithms of Exploitation, found that across nine countries studied, workers face low and unstable earnings, unsafe working conditions, and little to no protection when injured or unable to work.
Divided positions
Negotiations are expected to be difficult. According to Reuters, the US, China, Argentina, and India favour a less prescriptive approach, while the European Union, Brazil, and Mexico support stronger protections.
The International Organisation of Employers, which represents about 50 million companies worldwide, has said any framework should remain flexible, allowing countries to adapt rules to national circumstances. The International Trade Union Confederation has pushed for something stronger. Its General Secretary Luc Triangle told Reuters: “Technological innovation cannot be used as an excuse to weaken democratic labour rights.”
The draft text sets out rules to guarantee core labour rights, fair pay, and safe working conditions for all platform workers, regardless of how companies classify them.
Why this matters in Australia
Australia is ahead of much of the world on this issue — and the Geneva talks represent a chance for the country’s approach to influence the international standard. Since February 2025, digital labour platforms in Australia have had to comply with a Deactivation Code administered by the Fair Work Commission, which mandates advance warnings, human contact options, and the right to challenge deactivations through a fair process.
The Fair Work Commission has new powers to determine minimum standards for “employee-like” workers in the gig economy, and regulated workers have gained the power to challenge unfair deactivation and termination by a platform. As of April 2026, the framework is operational, enforcement is active, and the first collective pay agreements under the new system are taking shape.
Australia’s framework is notable for not forcing a binary employee-or-contractor classification — instead creating a new category of “employee-like” worker with specific protections. That approach closely mirrors the direction the ILO convention is moving, making Australia well placed to advocate for it on the global stage. However, a key concern at the Geneva talks is that attempts to weaken language around worker classification risk creating loopholes for companies to exploit. Australian advocates will be watching those negotiations closely.
