- Rain or shine, I have to deliver to make ends meet. - Working as a Gig Worker in Pakistan Between Climate Change and Lack of Security
Before reading the blog, test your knowledge! ⬇️⬇️⬇️
This blog was written by one of the students who joined the WageIndicator Gig team during their Internship Program. The internship also allows the interns to contribute to the news collection and create visuals to give an overview of different platform economy topics.
Author: Asawari Bhagwat - FLAME University
A LinkedIn post by the Centre for Labour Research, a Pakistan-based labour rights organisation, highlights the inaction of platform companies and the government during the 2024 heat wave. The absence of articles about the actions of Pakistani delivery platforms to protect workers from climate change prompted me to write this blog and dig deeper.
Immediate action would be required in the current situation: temperatures in the Pakistani province of Sindh rose to a record-breaking 52.2°C in May this year. Maximum temperatures ranged from 36.7°C in Karachi to 49°C in Larkana and Dadu. More than 500 people were reported to have died of heat-related causes in Karachi in six days in June. Torrential rains fell in Pakistan (Peshawar and Islamabad) in April 2024 and flooded the streets killing at least 50 people. Over 128,000 people have passed away due to air pollution.
Due to extreme weather and environmental issues (like smog), outdoor gig workers in Pakistan, such as food, grocery, and parcel delivery drivers, face challenges year-round: heat waves in summer, storms and floods during the monsoon, and smog in winter. Climate change worsens these conditions, disproportionately affecting outdoor workers, including vulnerable individuals like the elderly, who are increasingly part of the global gig workforce.
Worse still, there are higher risks of workplace incidents in Pakistan as the Eurofond’s research found that the risk increases by 10-15% when temperatures rise above 38°C. Amnesty International also published a report that spoke of a "burning emergency" in Pakistan, an emergency that affected more workers in the informal sector.
What makes app-based delivery workers part of the vulnerable group?
Rasheed, a Pakistani rider in Lahore, says “Rain or shine, I have to make deliveries to make ends meet”.
Riders and drivers are constantly exposed to the weather as their work involves moving from one location to another. They work long hours, drive and ride in heavy rain, breathe bad air, and experience exhaustion and dehydration, a condition that makes them prone to heat stroke.
These outdoor gig workers are also among the highest risk groups for skin cancer given their prolonged unprotected exposure to the sun and ultraviolet radiation.
Besides, as independent contractors, they are unable to access government health care benefits like accidental insurance and social security, and in most cases, they have to pay for their medical treatments. An issue that will weigh even more heavily on their backs as climate change worsens.
Other Side Effects: The Relationship with the Customers
Two other factors to consider are the relationship between gig workers and their clients and some particularly vulnerable categories of gig workers.
Extreme weather conditions make it difficult for riders and drivers to work and deliver their services on time. Being late results in the workers facing mistreatment or verbal harassment by customers and restaurant management.
Heavy rains put them at risk, as motorcycles and bicycles are more likely to skid.
Among the Vulnerable: When Climate Change Affects Older Gig Workers
Even among gig workers, vulnerability varies as per age. The Rest of World’s article reveals that a growing number of older individuals are forced into gig work due to the soaring cost of living, increasing poverty and pervasive unemployment. This population is bound to become larger in the future.
The older gig worker population suffers greater risks as most of them might already have health issues due to the nature of their work and age. Basharat Burak, a 56-year-old Careem driver, says that his health has deteriorated due to driving so much. He also does not drink sufficient water as he can’t keep taking washroom breaks, and risks dehydration.
Are the delivery and e-hailing companies doing anything?
Foodpanda is the only company in Pakistan that seems to have taken some initiative to provide relief to delivery workers during the 2024 heat wave. They have set up rest areas known as ‘aram-gaahs’ at offices, the company’s grocery stores, kitchens, eateries, and riders’ hubs. Some of these places also consist of misting fans and provide wet towels, caps, and refreshing drinks to the riders. The company is also testing out products like bike umbrellas.
Aside from the case above, there is a lack of action by gig companies in Pakistan to provide relief or assistance to gig drivers and riders during such times. This is evident from the lack of articles on mainstream and social media reporting this issue. Careem Pakistan, for instance, has only one post related to the heat wave on its Facebook account from five years ago, which just asks the passengers to greet their Captains (drivers) with a bottle of cold water. However, they have not done anything else apart from that.
What about the Government?
Pakistan’s provincial Occupational Health and Safety Acts mention protecting workers from hazards, but nothing regarding protecting them from extreme weather events or any climate-related event.
Something more specific came from Punjab, a province in Pakistan, which published a climate change policy draft in 2023. The Disaster Preparedness, Management, and Emergency Response section, mentions “Analyse[ing] how floods, droughts, and heatwaves impact women, men, and children differently due to social roles, access to resources, and mobility. Develop[ing] action plans addressing their specific needs”.
Signs of attention to the issue also came from the province of Sindh, where the Government came up with a Climate Change Policy in 2022.
However, as pointed out by Asar Social Impact Advisers, an organisation dedicated to solving the challenges of climate change, "ensuring that the plan moves from a policy document to actual implementation would require a collaborative effort" from civil society, industry, elected representatives, and government.
It’s a global issue
The Pakistani companies can take inspiration from initiatives abroad.
For instance, in Kuwait, Deliveroo is investing in including motorbike bar muffs, cooling towels, and cooling vests in the rider kits to lower body temperature and protect the hand from the sun's heat. It is also providing riders with windshield visors (to prevent overheating) and insulated water bottles (for cold water).
Platform companies in Vietnam and Thailand charge weather fees for extreme heat and rain. However, it is a meagre amount, and sometimes pushes drivers to work even harder to earn more.
In India, Zomato, a food-delivery gig company, on the other hand, requested its users to not order during afternoons (12 pm to 4 pm) due to the extreme heat wave that India was facing in May and June 2024.
What’s next?
As the Centre for Labour Research underlines, it is imperative that Pakistan's platforms implement immediate solutions and that both the federal and provincial governments work to enact laws and regulations regarding labour issues related to climate change.
Pakistan is considered the fifth most vulnerable country to climate change, and this scenario is likely to worsen due to unplanned urbanisation, urban expansion, and deforestation.
It's time to recognize that this is not a problem of the future and to take strong action to provide some relief to outdoor workers, including those who provide on-site services through platforms.