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FAIRNESS IN FLUX: NAVIGATING THE GIG ECONOMY THROUGH REGULATORY INNOVATION AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING - 27 January, 2024

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Date and time
January 27 at 9:20 AM - 10:30 AM
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Location
Webinar
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Organiser
WageIndicator
A presentation by the Central European Labour Studies Institute and the WageIndicator Foundation at the Oxford Internet Policy and Politics Hybrid Conference

About the session

It has become clear that besides considerable perks such as flexibility and access to (online) work for qualified workers, the gig economy comes with an increased risk of precarity for workers. This session, part of the Oxford Internet Policy and Politics Hybrid Conference, aims to shed light on the critical issues related to gig workers’ rights and needs, specifically focusing on regulatory frameworks, collective bargaining, and transparency in costs and earnings. It will explore effective ways to regulate a rapidly developing sector and examine the possible role of collective bargaining in ensuring fair and sustainable conditions for gig workers. The presentations will range from a general overview of the regulatory landscape to a close look at collective bargaining as one of the mechanisms for protecting workers’ rights, to a concrete tool developed for the needs of gig workers.

This session aligns with the conference theme about the implications of the Internet and related technologies for working life and the labour market in general. It offers strategies for tackling precarity in this rapidly developing, internet-driven economy with an emphasis on global perspectives and multidisciplinary insights. 

The session's objectives include:

  • Examine existing and proposed regulatory models for the gig economy from a global perspective.
  • Assess the challenges and opportunities associated with regulating gig work.
  • Explore the feasibility and potential impact of collective bargaining on gig workers' rights and working conditions.
  • Discuss innovative approaches to regulatory frameworks and collective bargaining in the gig economy.
  • Introduce tools and strategies to empower gig workers’ decision-making.

The session will be held on Saturday, 27th January 2024 between 10:20 AM - 11:30 AM GMT.

Register for free to join in-person or online here.

Presentations

15 (10 min + 5 min Q&A)

The current state of events in global regulations of the platform economy
Iftikhar Ahmad

Iftikhar Ahmad Manager, Labour Law team global - WageIndicator

The presentation will map the regulatory landscape of the gig economy. It will illustrate the legal/ regulatory issues in the field through several recent court cases related to employment status disputes, as well as access to data, unfair deactivation, algorithm transparency, and more. Current attempts at regulating the industry, such as the recent ELA directive will be discussed from a broader perspective, presenting the benefits, challenges and possible drawbacks of regulating a rapidly developing an industry that hails flexibility as one of its key strengths. Outline:

  • An overview of both established and upcoming regulations.
  • Discussion of selected court cases related to the most pressing legal issues in platform work.
  • Presenting innovative approaches to measuring regulatory coverage of workers’ rights and needs (Labour Rights Index).

Presentation: Download

15 (10 min + 5 min Q&A)

Demand for (flexible) regulation - Does collective bargaining have a role in platform economies?
marta

Marta Kahancova Director Research WageIndicator, CELSI

The presentation will discuss the role of collective bargaining in the gig economy with an emphasis on its relevance and feasibility in the dynamic and non-standard industry. It will assess the potential of the traditional, trade-union approach and contrast it with insights from sectors without traditional agreements. WageIndicator’s own extensive Collective Agreements database will be used to showcase the current collective agreement coverage of platform workers (or lack thereof). Outline:

  • Exploration of Collective Agreement options for platform workers, covering traditional and alternative approaches.
  • Examining existing gig economy collective agreements, their features, and practical functionality.

Presentation: Download

15 (12 min + 3 min Q&A)

Living wages in the gig economy - WageIndicator Living Tariff as a tool for a Living Tariff of gig workers

Paulien Osse

Daniela

Nadia Pralitasari

Introduction: Paulien Osse Co-founder, WageIndicator;
Methodology: Daniela Ceccon Director Data, WageIndicator;
Case Studies/ Global Context/ Practical Issues: Nadia Pralitasari Manager WageIndicator Indonesia (Online)

Addressing the persistent challenge of fair compensation in the field that notoriously lacks employee protection, the WageIndicator Foundation has expanded its Living Wage / Living Income concept to the self-employed, platform-based modes of work to equip gig workers with an easily accessible tool to check fair remuneration for their work. Outline:

  • Introducing the Living Tariff tool.
  • Methodology (Data collection, calculations).
  • Case studies of pilot Living Tariff countries (Kenya, Pakistan and Indonesia), insights from the global context
  • Practical issues in raising awareness about the availability of tools and information to the target audiences.

Presentation: Download

Presentation: Download

 Moderator

  • Fiona Dragstra (in-person): General Director, WageIndicator Foundation

  • Presenters

  • Paulien Osse (in-person): Co-founder, WageIndicator Foundation and Lead, Living Wages, WageIndicator Foundation
  • Marta Kahancova (online): Co-founder and Managing Director, Central European Labour Studies Institute
  • Iftikhar Ahmed (online): Founder, Center for Labour Research and Labour Law Expert, WageIndicator Foundation
  • Daniela Ceccon (online): Director of Data, WageIndicator Foundation
  • Martijn Arets (online): Gig Economy Expert
  • Nadia Pralitasari (online): Labour Expert