Collective Labor Rights in the Context of the Digitalization of the Economy: The Experience of European States and Selected BRICS Member Countries

This paper examines the transformation of collective bargaining relations in the context of the spread of information technologies (Internet platform algorithms, other digital technologies for production management, monitoring labor discipline, labor productivity, and others). Attention is given to the scholarly concepts of European, Latin American, and Asian scholars from BRICS countries who are exploring the impact of digitalization on the development of labor law. It is noted that digitalization in labor law has led to significant consequences, including the emergence of internet-platform workers and the widespread use of artificial intelligence algorithms to monitor and manage the labor process. The paper presents the regulatory experience of collective labor relations in the European Union and selected BRICS countries. Deficiencies in the legal regulation of the right to form and join trade unions, engage in collective bargaining, conclude collective agreements, and conduct strikes involving platform workers and other employees whose labor has been digitalized are identified. The author outlines several proposals for the development of collective labor relations in the context of digitalization. These involve guaranteeing selfemployed individuals, who in various legal systems typically include digital workers, the right to form and join professional unions and to conduct collective bargaining; incorporating into tariff (collective) agreements provisions on employment support during the digitization of organizational or technological processes, and others.

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