digital platforms
The Republic of Korea: Extending social insurance to digital platform workers
Light entrepreneurship on the upswing in Finland – improves employment but places many in a vulnerable labour market position
India: Regulatory Framework and the Protection of Basic Rights of Gig Workers
barandbench.com (16.05.2024) The gig economy, a burgeoning sector, represents a paradigm shift in traditional employment models, offering flexibility and autonomy to workers across various industries. Despite its benefits, the sector's rapid growth, particularly in urban India, has highlighted significant regulatory gaps, especially concerning the protection of gig workers' basic rights. The informal nature of gig work, mediated through digital platforms, poses unique challenges in ensuring fair labour practices and safeguarding workers' rights.
Financing Social Protection - Lessons from Gig Workers in India
WIEGO (23.10.2023) The extension of social protection to all workers, including those in the informal economy, is crucial to creating better quality employment. For this to happen, it is essential that financing for social protection is increased. A new scheme for financing social protection for gig workers in Rajasthan, India, could provide lessons for other workers in informal employment. WIEGO spoke to social activist Nikhil Dey to learn more.
The Plight of Platform Workers Under Algorithmic Management in Southeast Asia
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (30.04.2024) Algorithmic management by large online platforms disrupts societal relations. A case study about drivers in Southeast Asia demonstrates the worldwide shifts that are underway.
Divided Directions: India's varied roadmap for governance of platform workers
The Financial Express (02.05.2024) India has made remarkable progress in expanding social security through the groundbreaking Code on Social Security-2020 (CoSS 2020), positioning itself as a pioneer in this field. This legislation stands out for its acknowledgment of platform workers and extending universal social security to them. Furthermore, under India’s leadership, the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration has prioritised the goal of ensuring adequate social protection and decent working conditions for platform workers under the overarching theme of “The Future of Work”.
Migrant labour in the ‘gig’ economy: progress or trap?
socialeurope.eu (17.04.2024) Platform work is often presented as a stepping-stone for migrant workers. It may not however feel so benign to them.
Report: Digital labour platforms in Kenya: Exploring women’s opportunities and challenges across various sectors
ilo.org (04.04,2024) While Kenya has made significant strides towards achieving gender equality, the findings of the report shows that significant gaps remain in the realm of digital labour platforms. Women in most sectors earn less than men and have lower access to social security benefits. The existing regulation fails to recognize most of the women workers on location-based and online platform work as employees, as a result excluding women from basic labor rights and protections.
Platform workers: Council confirms agreement on new rules to improve their working conditions
consilium.europa.eu (11.03.2024) EU employment and social affairs ministers confirmed the provisional agreement reached on 8 February 2024 between the Council’s presidency and the European Parliament’s negotiators on the platform work directive. This EU legal act aims to improve working conditions and regulate the use of algorithms by digital labour platforms. The directive will make the use of algorithms in human resources management more transparent, ensuring that automated systems are monitored by qualified staff and that workers have the right to contest automated decisions.