2023

The poor working conditions that have come to characterise the platform economy are not necessary outcomes of technological development. Platforms have significant control over the jobs they mediate, and the power to shape them for the better.

Author: Shamarukh Alam, Researcher, Fairwork Bangladesh Ratings 2023; Senior Research Fellow, DataSense at iSocial - Bangladesh has seen significant growth of the platform economy. However, workers on these platforms have had to deal with low wages, poor conditions, and a lack of social security and occupational safety

The new Brazilian government, led by Lula da Silva, has expressed its intention to address the regulation of platform work later this year. But what about the workers? Have they been heard? What are their needs and concerns?

Author: Ainan Tajrian, Research Manager, Fairwork Bangladesh Ratings 2023; Research Associate, DataSense at iSocial - The ‘Khaep’ phenomenon: why are drivers directly connecting with riders, bypassing the platform and their app-based infrastructure?

A two-day consultation brought together organisations and individuals from various parts of India who work on labour rights and advocate for a legal framework of social security for platform-based gig workers.

Nur Huda, Centre for Innovation Policy and Governance (CIPG), Adriansyah Dhani Darmawan, CIPG, Maria Catherine, CIPG, and Richard Heeks, University of Manchester - Digital platforms and digital platform workers have become an inseparable part of urban life in Jakarta and other cities in Indonesia. However, at what point is the regulation?

Authors: Nur Huda, Adriansyah Dhani Darmawan, Maria Catherine (Centre for Innovation Policy and Governance, CIPG), and Richard Heeks (University of Manchester) A tragic incident has highlighted the poor working conditions and inadequate safeguards for gig workers in Indonesia

The report looks at nine of Kenya’s digital labour platforms against five Principles of Fair Work. While some of them are complying with the mandate, the resistance from other platforms prompted a wave of strikes from workers.

Current texts on the EU Directive on Platform Work make important strides in guaranteeing better working conditions to platform workers in the EU. Yet, they still fall short in key aspects. Based on ongoing research by the Fairwork project in 38 countries, we propose six key areas that need to be addressed in the future Directive.

The ILO Governing Body will discuss standards related to decent work on the platform economy during its 2025 Conference. The Global Manifesto for a Fairer Platform Economy and Fairwork Principles provide a good start to listing primary problems faced by platform workers and adequate solutions to solve them.

Martijn Arets - Platform cooperatives have been mentioned for years as a responsible alternative to Big Tech Platforms like Uber and Deliveroo. Despite the enthusiasm, great success remains elusive. Why is this and what is the solution? Platform expert Martijn Arets, who collaborates with WageIndicator Gig Team, gives new insights and tactics to make the platform economy more cooperative.

What do ‘flexibility’ and ‘empowerment’ really mean? During the panel discussion of ‘Women in Gig Work: Web-Based Work,’ WageIndicator's sixth webinar on the platform economy, three speakers took into consideration both opportunities and challenges when analyzing women’s experiences on digital labor platforms

Martijn Arets - The context of the case, what is (not) new about a domestic cleaning platform, an overview of what changes the platform has made over the years. And a proposal for a debate

Rafael Grohmann, Rodrigo Carelli, Julice Salvagni, Jonas Valente, Roseli Figaro e Claudia Nociolini Rebechi - President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva reaffirmed during the campaign his commitment to decent work conditions at the core of this political, highlighting that workers on digital platforms need rights.

The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the domestic service sector in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and identify challenges and problems regarding the working and living conditions of domestic workers, with a focus on specific challenges for women and migrants.

Martijn Arets - The impact of algorithms and technology on the worker: the subject of part two of the European Platform Work Directive. For platforms offering 'on demand' jobs (taxi and delivery), the impact of the algorithm on finding, hiring and performing work is great and the worker is paid per job. Where it is often unclear exactly what the returns are.

Martijn Arets - WageIndicator Foundation increases the transparency about work and income worldwide. Martijn Arets of The Gig Work Podcast speaks to co-founder Paulien Osse about this unusual organization's successes, challenges, and goals of this unique organization.

How Fairwork Project strives for real change: Martijn Arets talks with senior researcher and project manager Dr. Funda Ustek Spilda in the new episode of The Gig Work Podcast.

The seventh Gig Work webinar by WageIndicator focused on strategies and projects striving to build a balanced relationship between platform workers and companies. Workers should benefit from access to data, economic growth, and AI technologies.

The good practices session of ‘A Level Playing Field for Gig Workers’ gave space to a crowdwork platform, a code of conduct, and a service provider. Examples of how it’s possible to truly contribute to achieving better conditions for workers.

Effective examples of gig workers being helped regain negotiation power and build a collective voice can be given when monitoring strikes, alternative models of platform economy, and legislation

WageIndicator Intern Reports - Zomato and Swiggy, the top two giants in the Indian food delivery industry, may get some challenges from outsiders.

A collaborative effort between the WageIndicator Foundation, the Fairwork Project and the Leeds Index of Platform Labour Protest, Gigpedia will be a central hub with all available information on the global gig economy

Martijn Arets - Albert Cañigueral Bagó is fascinated by technology, platforms and the world of work. How did the sharing and gig economy develop? And what impact does technology have on workers now and in the future? This is what Martijn Arets discusses with him in The Gig Work Podcast

Court rulings help workers to better define their status and extend their labour rights. Unfortunately, also courts need to deal with some practical issues and what happens when a platform leaves a country instead of hiring its workers as employees.

Martijn Arets - In Germany, crowdwork platforms concluded a code of conduct about five years ago to serve workers better. How successful is this initiative? And what can we learn from it?

Martijn Arets - British tech expert and Uber driver James Farrar has been championing labour rights in the platform economy for eight years. Often successfully. Platform expert Martijn Arets spoke to him on behalf of the WageIndicator Foundation in The Gig Work Podcast about justice, data and the future of platform work. "Our struggle has only just begun," he said.

Martijn Arets - Delivery riders connected to platform Glovo do not all get employment contracts, but are covered by the 'Couriers Pledge' in 21 countries. With this, the company promises delivery workers safety, community, equality and a fair income. Why, how does it work and what does a platform worker get out of it? Martijn Arets travelled to Barcelona and spoke to Glovo spokesperson Magalí Gurman.

Martijn Arets - How reliable is Maastricht University’s research on Uber drivers’ earnings? What was really in the report? And what didn't?

The best practices session of Women in Gig Work: Web-Based Work presented a German code of conduct and a Dutch tech solution to put workers’ skill in the first place

Martijn Arets - Super-apps like Grab and Gojek are centralizing and formalizing Indonesia's informal labour market. What problems are associated with this? And what does this teach us about the gig economy worldwide? Martijn Arets explores in The Gig Work Podcast.

WageIndicator Intern Reports - Why Mexican gig workers are not keen on unionizing, and what can be done to bring them together

Martijn Arets - More regulation for the platform economy is rapidly emerging. The goal of these new regulations is a fair platform economy for all. What impact do they have? How can we make legislation more workable for all? And how do these lessons help us prepare for new regulations around technology like AI? Independent platform expert Martijn Arets organized the 'Regulating Digital Platforms Working Conference' on behalf of The Hague University of Applied Sciences and together with PwC and Considerati. In this blog, he shares his insights.

When it’s time to share their online work experiences, women usually speak of flexibility and economic independence. However, they also mention challenges and constraints. This has been the focus of ‘Women in Gig Work: Web-Based Work,’ the sixth WageIndicator’s Gig Webinar

WageIndicator Intern Reports - Urban Company has a large share of women workers who are resisting the platform's unfair practices. WhatsApp groups emerged as an important instrument for struggling.

Claire Hobden is a specialist on vulnerable workers and domestic work at the International Labour Organization (ILO). As keynote speaker at WageIndicator’s fifth Gig Work webinar, Women in Gig Work, she shared the research results that the ILO disclosed on the occasion of the Domestic Workers Convention’s 10th anniversary.

WageIndicator’s fifth Gig Work webinar will focus on Women in Gig Work. The two-part series will start on 27 October 2022 from 2 to 3.30pm CEST, and will focus specifically on domestic workers. A range of experts in the field will form part of the programme of discussions and debate.

During the panel discussion of Women in Gig Work, WageIndicator's fifth webinar on the platform economy, 3 speakers presented what the platform economy looks like in their countries, and shared opportunities and issue resulting from their research.

The best practices's session of Women in Gig Work, WageIndicator's fifth webinar on the platform economy, presented a US-based organization and a Colombian platform currently committed to improve domestic workers' conditions.