Alina Zurmühlen is a Communications Specialist working in the field of political and research communication. She is currently Associate for Press and Public Relations at the Hertie School in Berlin. Before joining the public policy school, she was as consultant and worked on campaigns, publications and communication strategies for federal ministries, civil society organisations, and further clients from the public and third sector. Her interest areas include labor relations, the future of work, and gender in international politics. She is a member of the grassroots think tank Polis180 and holds a master's degree in social anthropology.
Policy Project: Make Amazon pay? How to tackle labor policy and the future of work in Germany.
The platform economy and e-commerce giants such as Amazon have transformed industrial relations in Germany, Europe and beyond. While the media, trade unions and government authorities have criticised companies for exploiting loopholes and circumventing social and labour rights, the search for consensus between governments, companies and trade unions has reached an impasse. My policy project describes the current status quo in Germany as well as at the EU level and outlines possible ways forward to ensure fair pay, occupational safety and social security in the long term.
