Abstract

This article examines the labour management mechanisms employed by digital platforms in passenger transport, delivery, and on-demand services in Viet Nam and assesses their implications for labour rights. Drawing on a human rights-based approach and the theory of algorithmic management, it identifies five mechanisms through which managerial authority is exercised: automated work allocation, dynamic pricing and remuneration, data-driven monitoring and evaluation, behaviour-based incentives and sanctions, and governance through standard-form contracts. These mechanisms create information and power asymmetries that affect workers’ legal status, income, working time, occupational safety, social security, data privacy, and collective bargaining rights. Drawing on ILO Convention No. 193 (2026) and Directive (EU) 2024/2831, the article proposes a minimum protection floor that does not depend entirely on employment classification, combined with requirements for algorithmic transparency and accountability.

Keywords: Algorithmic management, labour rights, platform economy, social security, Viet Nam.