Online Platforms and Platform Work Georgia Legally binding definition of online platforms Specific register of online platforms Specific regulation applicable to online platforms Online platforms are considered to be employers In 2020, Georgia’s Parliament adopted an important labour law reform package providing much greater protection to workers. The law makes no reference to platform work, however. The majority of Georgian platform workers – providing both on-location services and engaged in remote platform work – are based in the country’s capital, Tbilisi. $ 500-600 /month Service sector $ 130-160 /month Regarding incomes from platform work, the average rates for workers engaged in remote work and on-location services tend to be higher than average labour market incomes in the country. For example, successful platform workers registered on Freelance, Weblancer, and Guru. com can earn around USD 2,500. Typical gross monthly earnings of Bolt Taxi drivers engaged full-time is USD 500-600, while the average monthly salary in the service sector is around USD 130-160. Georgian workers have been active on a number of remote work platforms, such as Ido.ge, Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer.com, Weblancer.net and Freelance.ru. Glovo, Bolt, Bolt Food, GG Taxi, Alo Modi, Wolt and Yandex Taxi were the most-used on-location platforms. Ido.ge is an online employment platform that provides different freelance services, such as graphic design, tutoring or translations. The platform was founded in Tbilisi in 2015.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the platform economy, especially in the area of food delivery and raid-hailing services, has been on the rise in big cities, where the share of households with Internet access is significantly higher. Many ride-hailing and delivery apps have started operating in the urban centres of Kutaisi, Batumi, Rustavi, Telavi, Poti, and Mtskheta. There is no collective agreement relating to platform work in Georgia. In December 2020, January 2021 and March 2021, in the capital Tbilisi, delivery drivers from Wolt, Glovo, and Bolt Food respectively organised protest actions and went on strike. In all cases, the strikes were triggered by unilateral changes in the remuneration system. Instead of acknowledging their responsibilities to negotiate with workers, platform companies have tried to prevent them from protesting and have recruited replacement couriers. Most workers who took an active part in the protests have found themselves blocked on the apps. There were two important cases used by public authorities to address platform workers – both the Public Prosecutor’s Office and Georgia’s Labour Inspectorate have held that app-based couriers should be classified as employees, and have urged delivery companies to uphold and enforce labour law. In 2020, following a courier traffic accident, Georgia’s Labour Inspectorate inspected and fined Glovo for not complying with basic work safety standards. In 2021 the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Georgia affirmed that couriers working for Glovo – an international food delivery enterprise – have a labour relationship with the company and are entitled to guarantees under labour law. FES Competence Centre on the Future of Work – January, 2023 Background research conducted by Vakhtang Natsvlishvili, Georgia Fair Labour Platform Graphic Design: Galadriel GV