IPA CIS Working Group Finalized Draft Model Law on Platform Work

On 9 April 2026, a final meeting of the IPA CIS working group tasked with preparing the draft Model Law on Platform Work was held at the Tavricheskiy Palace under the chairmanship of member of the Committee of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on Social Policy Natalia Kosikhina.

The meeting was attended by members of the working group, representatives of the parliaments of CIS Member States, as well as experts from academic and professional communities and relevant government bodies.

Natalia Kosikhina delivered opening remarks, outlining the key tasks for finalizing the document.

The main report on the outcomes of the drafting process was presented by Secretary of the working group, Partner and Head of Infrastructure and Public-Private Partnership Practice at the law firm “VERBA LEGAL” Alexander Dolgov. He introduced the final version of the document, highlighting its key provisions and noting that all comments and proposals received from parliaments and relevant agencies had been duly taken into account.

Following the discussion, the working group approved the draft Model Law and decided to submit it to the IPA CIS Permanent Commission on Economy and Finance for further consideration at the spring session of the Interparliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

The document establishes, for the first time, the legal, economic and organizational framework of public policy in the field of platform employment. It regulates relations between three key actors: platform workers (service providers), digital platform operators and customers.

Platform workers are granted a broad range of rights, including the right to rest; to remuneration (in cases provided for by national legislation, not below the minimum wage); to the protection of personal data; to appeal decisions of the operator and rating outcomes; to form and join trade unions and engage in collective bargaining; to request the deletion of their profile; and to compensation in cases where third parties provide knowingly false information regarding alleged violations or health conditions. The law also guarantees the right of platform workers to register on one or multiple platforms (restrictions may apply only for the protection of life and health).

Digital platform operators are entitled to set requirements for workers and customers, determine terms of cooperation, receive remuneration, offer additional paid functionalities, establish associations, introduce supplementary social benefits and act as tax agents. At the same time, operators are required to ensure stable platform operation, provide non-discriminatory access, verify the accuracy of data (including licenses and compliance with medical requirements), ensure unhindered withdrawal of earnings, and comply with legislation on personal data protection and anti-money laundering. A key innovation is the requirement that automated decisions (such as account blocking, penalties, access restrictions or payment delays) must be subject to prior approval by the individual concerned. Operators are also obliged to delete a profile upon the first request of a worker or customer.

Customers are granted the right to access the platform, place orders, require their execution, ensure the protection of their personal data, receive information on the progress of services, and appeal operator decisions. In turn, customers are required to comply with user agreements, pay for services and provide necessary information.

The document places particular emphasis on preventing abuse and addressing the misclassification of employment relationships. It introduces clear criteria for determining when a relationship should be considered an employment relationship. These include: personal performance of work under the control of another party; work performed primarily in the interests of another person; work according to a set schedule or at a designated workplace; regular remuneration paid by the same entity; and economic dependence on the platform as the sole or main source of income. In dispute resolution, the substance of the relationship prevails over its form, and the burden of proof that no employment relationship exists lies with the operator or the customer. Concealment of actual employment relationships is deemed unacceptable.

Mechanisms of social partnership and oversight are also established: operators (or their associations), platform workers (or their trade unions) and public authorities interact through negotiations, agreements, consultations and out-of-court dispute resolution. Compliance with the law is subject to supervision by authorized state, municipal and other competent bodies in accordance with national legislation of CIS Member States.

The implementation of the Model Law on Platform Work will contribute to harmonizing national legislation across the Commonwealth in the regulation of digital platforms; reducing informal employment and increasing tax and social contribution revenues; ensuring decent working conditions and social guarantees for millions of platform workers; establishing transparent and non-discriminatory rules for platform operators and customers; introducing safeguards against automated decision-making; and preventing the misclassification of employment relationships as civil law contracts.

Closing the meeting, Natalia Kosikhina thanked all participants for their productive work and expressed confidence that the document will serve as an effective instrument for harmonizing national legislation and promoting the further development of labor and social relations across the CIS.