Online Platforms and Platform Work Croatia Legally binding definition of online platforms Specific register of online platforms Specific regulation applicable to online platforms Online platforms are considered to be employers Under the Road Transport Act(NN 41/18, 98/19, 30/21, 89/21) that was adopted in 2018, operations of platforms providing taxi transport services are subject to regulation. 30,000 40,000 The Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy has estimated the number of platform workers in Croatia at between 30,000 and 40,000. The most popular and only well-known platforms that operate in Croatia are Wolt, Bolt, Uber and Glovo. Migrant workers make up a large part of delivery platforms’ workforce. Pauza.hr is a Croatian online food-delivery platform founded in Zagreb in 2014. The platform was acquired by Foodpanda Romania and Bulgaria, which also belongs to Glovo.

There is an ongoing debate in Croatia on the status of platform work in light of forthcoming amendments to the Labour Act. The Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy has announced that platform work is to be regulated through employment contracts. This means that platform workers will be subjected to domestic legislation. Provisions on work through digital working platforms will enter into force on 1 January 2024. Work performed through digital working platforms is to be extensively regulated, including inter alia through the following:(i) mandatory content for the employment agreement,(ii) use of automated management systems, (iii) processing of employees’ personal data, and(iv) protection of independent contractors performing work. Digital working platforms and aggregators will need to register with the relevant register maintained by the ministry in charge. The Digital Platform Workers Trade Union (SRDP in Croatian) was set up in September 2021 with the help of the Union of Autonomous Trade Unions of Croatia(SSSH). The SRDP provides support to workers on platforms by organising training events, encouraging the exchange of best practices and fostering a political discussion on wider aspects of work at platform companies. The first action undertaken by the newly established Union of Digital Platform Workers was a three-hour boycott of the Uber application to protest against a delay in wage rises. The boycott was organised in front of Uber headquarters in Zagreb. Although the workers staged their protest in front of company headquarters, no one from Uber responded. This protest also involved a shutdown of the Uber application by the workers between 7 and 10 p.m. There have been no labour disputes or court cases concerning platform work in Croatia to date. Many journalists have critically discussed platform work in Croatia, providing examples of wage dumping, unreported work to avoid taxes and lack of access to social security and basic working conditions such as minimum wage, pension insurance, paid sick leave and/or annual leave, and specified breaks for platform workers during working hours. FES Competence Centre on the Future of Work – January, 2023 Background research conducted by Jelena Ostojić, University of Zagreb Graphic Design: Galadriel GV