论雇佣关系演进与平台工人的权益保障

The Evolution Process of Employment Relationship and Protection of Rights and Interests of Platform Workers

平台经济为我国经济开拓了新的领域,也引发了平台工人权益保障的问题。本文描述了从主仆关系到雇佣关系的演进过程,概括了在这一过程中形成的雇佣关系属性,即从属性、连续性和双边性。然后将平台工作关系放入雇佣关系的整体属性之中进行了比较分析,提出这种工作关系与雇佣关系之间的差异,即缺少连续性与双边性。随后利用普通法的测试个案,揭示了对平台工人身份认定的困境。本文提出,尽管出于保障平台工人权益的动机,可以探讨修改雇佣关系的定义以及属性的可能性,但出于学术严谨的原则,在研究中不能割裂雇佣关系属性的整体框架而择取其一。面对平台工人权益保障的紧迫需求,坚持雇佣关系的概念可能无法应对现实中的平台工作关系,取而代之的是为平台工人提供权益的底线保障。

The platform economy has opened up new opportunities for China’s economy but at the same time posed challenges to protecting the rights and interests of platform workers.This paper describes the evolution process of employment relationship from feudal master and servant relationships,and summarizes the attributes of employment relationship formed in this process,namely subordination,continuity and bilaterality.The paper then analyzes work relationships in platforms against the attributes of employment relationship and identifies the differences from employment relationship,that is,the lack of continuity and bilaterality.Subsequently,common law test cases are used to reveal the dilemma facing the identification of employment status of platform workers.This paper concludes that while the possibility of modifying the concept and attributes of employment relationship can be explored for the purpose of protecting the rights and interests of platform workers,considering the principle of academic rigor,we should regard these attributes as a whole and not separate them.In the face of the urgent need for the protection of platform workers’rights and interests,adhering to the traditional definition of employment relationship may not be able to explain work relationships in platforms.Instead,we should depart from the perspective of employment relationship and provide platform workers with a floor of labour and social protection.