scholarly journals Striking a Balance: Extending Minimum Rights to U.S. Gig Economy Workers Based on E.U. Directive 2019/1153 on Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 225-261
Author(s):  
Lauren M. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Working Conditions ◽  
Gig Economy

         

Digital Platforms, Gig Economy, Precarious Employment, and the Invisible Hand of Social Class

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 597-600 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carles Muntaner
Keyword(s):  
Social Class ◽  
Working Class ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Invisible Hand ◽  
Class Conflict ◽  
Precarious Employment ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
Digital Platform ◽  
Employment Conditions ◽  
Gig Economy

Digital platform capitalism, as exemplified by companies like Uber or Lyft has the potential to transform employment and working conditions for an increasing segment of the worforce. Most digital economy workers are exposed to the health damaging precarious employment conditions characteristic of the contemporary working class in high income countries. Just as with Guy Standing or Mike Savage’s “precariat” it might appear that digital platform workers are a new social class or that they do not belong to any social class. Yet the class conflict interests (wages, benefits, employment and working conditions, collective action) of digital platform workers are similar to other members of the working class.

Algorithmic management versus organising protest and co-determination? The case of Foodora/Lieferando in Germany

2021 ◽  
pp. 105-128
Author(s):  
Jasmin Schreyer
Keyword(s):  
Social Science ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Focal Point ◽  
Social Science Research ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Gig Economy ◽  
Work Coordination ◽  
Platform Economy

The so-called ‘platform economy' or ‘gig economy' and its ambivalent effects on the working environment is a focal point of social science research. The contribution analyses, based on a case study, algorithmic work in the platform economy, its working conditions, and the way gig workers organised and articulated their protest. The algorithmic management of Lieferando (formerly Foodora) governs its employees through algorithmic-driven and standardized work coordination. Therefore, different conflicts between the company and its workers arose, concerning working conditions, working relations, and co-determination. Organising, protest, and established co-determination mechanisms play a crucial role for the employees. As a result, there exists currently a few institutionalized relationships between the platform and its workforce in Germany.

Mexico's digital economy faces labour reform pressures

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Informal Economy ◽  
Drop Out ◽  
Upper Secondary School ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
Gig Economy ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Gender Based

Significance The bill will be debated when the new legislature elected in the June 6 mid-term elections is sworn in and starts sessions in September. Besides this bill, the Senate (upper house) is considering three other initiatives to redefine the labour relationship between platforms and their contracted services providers. Impacts High drop-out rates among students in upper secondary school and higher education will increase the number of young gig workers. Women will continue to represent a minority of digital platforms’ workers, widening gender-based economic inequality. Regulations to improve working conditions in the digital gig economy will have a limited impact on reducing Mexico’s informal economy.

India's digital economy workforce is set to expand

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Working Conditions ◽  
Food Delivery ◽  
Digital Economy ◽  
Gender Gaps ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
Gig Economy ◽  
Indian Consumers ◽  
Software Services

Significance Not only has the range of software services provided widened, but a host of other services are being delivered remotely and in person through digital platforms to Indian consumers. This diversification is changing the working conditions of India’s burgeoning digital economy workforce. Impacts Wages in the digital gig economy will fall as more workers enter this segment. Platform work in unskilled areas such as food delivery will lower India’s long-term skills base. Gender gaps in the digital economy will persist given the lack of policy correctives.

Motivations for Labour Provision on Digital Platforms in Europe

2022 ◽  
pp. 81-103
Author(s):  
Joan Torrent-Sellens ◽  
Pilar Ficapal-Cusí ◽  
Myriam Ertz
Keyword(s):  
Working Conditions ◽  
Job Quality ◽  
The Other ◽  
Public Employment ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
Research Results ◽  
Labour Relations ◽  
Gig Economy ◽  
Economic Foundations

Research on the gig economy has rarely addressed the study on the motivations for the provision of labour services on digital platforms. Through a sample of 3,619 gigers in Europe, obtained from the COLLEM research, results have been obtained for labour providers (only gigers) and for labour and capital use providers (gigers and renters). The valuation of labour, being an internal resource of the gigers, has a great set of economic foundations, working conditions, and labour relations. On the other hand, the valuation of labour and capital uses is more focused on their economic and labour relations fundamentals, notably reducing the role of working conditions. These motivations suggest different platform strategies and public employment policies for both groups. While the promotion of the general job quality would also encourage the gig-job quality, the promotion of the labour and capital uses valuation requires specific actions on the platform operations.

Women gig workers raise pressure for labour reform

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Working Conditions ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Population Ageing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
Gig Economy ◽  
Technology Platforms ◽  
Care Economy ◽  
And Storage ◽  
New Jobs

Subject Women in the gig economy. Significance Work in the ‘gig economy’ relies on digital platforms to bring workers and purchasers of their services together. It has brought new jobs for women but also reinforced existing gender divides in the labour market, with more women, for example, in domestic work than in transport and storage sectors of the gig economy. Impacts The 'care economy' will grow considerably in developed countries due to population ageing and cuts in government funded services. Collective action among female gig workers in isolated domestic spheres will be difficult. Technology platforms themselves could become the forums through which gig workers organise for better working conditions.

Regulating for gender-equitable decent work in social and community services: Bringing the state back in

2021 ◽  
pp. 002218562199678
Author(s):  
Fiona Macdonald ◽  
Sara Charlesworth
Keyword(s):  
Working Conditions ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Regulatory Reform ◽  
Community Services ◽  
The State ◽  
Female Employment ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Decent Work ◽  
State Accountability ◽  
Gig Economy

This article explores the potential of regulatory and policy reform for gender-equitable decent work in social and community services, a rapidly growing sector of female employment in many Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries. Along with other feminised sectors, employment in this sector is marked by low rates of unionisation, poor pay and fragmented, insecure working hours. Internationally, gig economy work is now appearing in the sector. A distinguishing feature of the sector is employers’ reliance on government funding through contracted services or via direct payments to individuals. The distance of government from accountability for workers in publicly funded services directly contributes to gendered undervaluation and poor working conditions. However, the presence of the state also provides options for regulatory reform. This article considers the different roles played by government, as employment regulator, as funding and bargaining actor and as market manager and care regulator. Adopting a broad conception of regulation, it canvasses options for bringing the state back in to address gender inequality and precarious work. In the Australian context, it examines potential for rebuilding state accountability for gender-equitable decent work in individualised social care in which the gender inequalities and poor working conditions present in social and community services are amplified.

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