Flexibility in gig workers’ jobs not so easy to achieve: report

Gig workers are seeing an improvement in pay equity, but the flexibility of working in the gig economy comes at a price, a report says.

According to a report by Fairwork India, while some gig platforms pay minimum wage to their employee partners, when it comes to job flexibility for employees, citing things like lack of specific working hours and incentives may not be enough.

The report examines the working conditions of digital platform workers in India. It evaluates 12 platforms offering location-based services in sectors such as home and personal care, logistics, food delivery, e-pharmacy and transportation in India.

The report – by Fairwork India along with the Center for IT and Public Policy (Citapp), the International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIIT-B) – conducted interviews with gig workers as part of their research and analyzed 12 major platforms, including Amazon Flex , BigBasket, Dunzo, Flipkart, Ola, PharmEasy, Porter, Swiggy, Uber, Urban Company, Zepto and Zomato.

“The promise of flexibility in the digital platform economy raises as many questions about livelihoods as it offers opportunities. Through the report, we are trying to provide an interpretation of flexibility that allows not only the adaptability that platforms seek, but also the income and social security that workers lack,” said Balaji Parthasarathy and Janaki Srinivasan, principal researchers involved in the report.

Platforms in the report were assessed based on criteria such as minimum pay, working conditions, access to clear terms and conditions before enrolment, grievance redressal and governance, along with worker representation.

Among all the key indicators used in the report, some companies have taken steps to implement policies that meet some of the criteria mentioned in the report. Companies like Flipkart, Urban Company and BigBasket, according to the report, ensure that the hourly local minimum wage after work-related expenses is paid to gig workers.

However, the report states that none of the 12 companies has shown a willingness to recognize a workers’ collective body.

The legal position regarding social security provisions for gig workers is also currently ambiguous. The Social Security Code 2020 and the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines 2020, which regulate the conditions of platform workers, are expected to be implemented. The Digital Privacy Bill 2022, which is likely to have an impact on data collected by employees on platforms, has yet to be passed by Parliament.

The report’s findings come at a time when gig work in India is seen growing rapidly with a significant rise in demand for gig workers, which has also prompted recruitment firms and gig platforms to expand their teams and add verticals. focused on specific concerts.