Beyond Traditional Trade Unions: A Systematic Review of Collective Organizational Innovations in the Platform Economy

Abstract

The platform economy should ideally continue to guarantee protection, freedom of association, and collective bargaining power for all workers. However, the reality shows that the misclassification of employment status, geographical dispersion, and algorithmic management have instead weakened the effectiveness of traditional labor unions. This study aims to synthesize the transformation of collective organizing and map innovative models of representation developed by platform workers. The study employs a systematic literature review with a qualitative approach based on the PRISMA 2020 guidelines and the PEO framework. The literature search was conducted using the Scopus database, covering publications from 2010 to 2025, through a multi-stage selection process that narrowed 115 records down to four empirical studies assessed using CASP and MMAT. The findings indicate that platform workers are not passive actors; rather, they have developed new forms of organizing that are more flexible, digital, and multi-scalar in response to fragmented work arrangements and algorithmic control. This study contributes to the development of labor geography by offering a synthesis of the shift from conventional labor unions toward more adaptive models of collective representation, while also providing a foundation for renewing union strategies and labor policies in the platform economy era.