Report of the European Microworkers Communication and Outreach Initiative (EnCOre, 2023-2024)

On February 22, 2024, a group of dedicated microworkers, brought together by the EnCOre initiative, took the stage at the Fourth Transnational Forum on Alternatives to Uberization held at the European Parliament. This significant event united platform workers’ unions, advocacy organizations, and policymakers to champion the Platform Workers Directive. Their collective voice resonated powerfully, embedding microworkers’ demands into ongoing public outreach and advocacy efforts.

Microwork encompasses essential yet low-paid tasks like voice recording, short text translation, and image content classification, all crucial for the advancement of machine learning and AI technologies. The Covid-19 pandemic and the rise of generative AI have significantly boosted the prevalence of microwork across Europe, revealing both its importance and the precarious conditions faced by those who perform it.

Despite the challenges in estimating the true scale of microwork due to high turnover and corporate secrecy, studies indicate a notable increase in this labor form. While larger EU countries host more microworkers, smaller nations often show higher densities. Offshoring trends also impact demand, shifting many tasks to regions like Africa, South-East Asia, and South America.

The EnCOre project has been at the forefront of understanding this phenomenon, engaging with platform users, BPO workers, and tech companies through interviews, focus groups, and surveys across nine European countries. Our findings highlight the growing reliance on microwork platforms by small businesses and the need for policies that protect these indispensable yet often overlooked workers.

Join us in acknowledging and advocating for microworkers—the backbone of our digital economy—whose voices and rights must be recognized and safeguarded.