Page 7 - CII Artha Magazine 2022

Focus Story

Emerging Gig economy: especially in the G20 and comprehensively covered the already accounts for nearly 50 ensure workplace safety and LOW BARRIERS TO
per cent of employment. The
global opportunities and
BRICS ministerial meetings.
puts workers in vulnerable
ENTRY AND DOMINO
situations. The lack of these
low barriers to entry and the
challenges workers and
Opportunities & Since 2015, the ILO has employers face. For example, domino effect of the job-loss traditional benefits makes gig EFFECT OF THE
worked on gig and platform
JOB-LOSS CRISIS
skills utilization and
crisis brought on by the
work an insecure form of
work-related issues. In 2019,
COVID-19 pandemic are
inadequate availability of
employment, especially in
BROUGHT ON BY THE
the International Labour
reliable digital infrastructure
some reasons that will propel
low- and middle-income
COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Conference (ILC) adopted
gig work’s further expansion.
are some challenges workers
countries. There is an urgent
ARE SOME OF THE
Challenges for the ILO Centenary and employers face, However, while these need to protect workers REASONS TO PROPEL
Declaration for the Future of
respectively. However, SMEs
irrespective of their
platforms have the potential
GIG WORK'S
Work, which underlines the
employment status, which
to create new and tailor-made
have particularly benefitted
EXPANSION
need to respond to challenges
work arrangements, especially
requires a coherent and
from location-based
and opportunities arising in
platforms, and digital
coordinated international
for certain workers, such as
the world of work, especially
Job Creation those relating to the global platforms have also supported women, persons with effort.
the growth of startups and
disabilities or young people,
digital transformation of
Foremostly, the entire digital
even heralded the
they are replete with
which gig work is a part, for
labour ecosystem will benefit
challenges.
reorientation of some
from clarifying some of the
promoting sustained, inclusive,
sectors.
and sustainable economic
growth, full and productive Digital labour platforms offer regulatory uncertainties and
varying levels of autonomy
reinforcing that universal
employment and decent work GIG WORK and flexibility in working labour standards apply to all
for all. This was further EMERGING AS MAIN conditions, but workers miss workers, irrespective of their
reaffirmed when in 2021, the SOURCE OF INCOME, out on the benefits of contractual status and of
ILC adopted the Global Call ESPECIALLY IN traditional workplaces like which country the worker is
O ver the last few COVID-19 PANDEMIC to Action for a DEVELOPING wage protection and based in. Like all other
workers, platform workers
human-centred recovery from
standardization, paid leaves,
decades, internet and
telecom connectivity spread GAVE TECHNOLOGY the COVID-19 crisis. It NATIONS and collective bargaining, are entitled to basic human employee-employer
across the world at a SOLUTIONS AN acknowledges that safe and among others. Moreover, the and worker’s rights, to access relations will get covered References
sustained pace. However, the UNPARALLELED PUSH healthy working conditions work flexibility and variable minimum and fair wages, to under adequate social
protection measures,
COVID-19 pandemic has are fundamental to decent A distinct difference between wages that are initially enjoy a workplace free from • Digital technologies
given technology solutions an work, including the new gig work in developed and attractive can translate into violence and harassment, to keeping up with the and how India can use
unprecedented acceleration. Globally, digital labour modes of employment developing countries has long hours and impact have good working changing world of work. it to its advantage;
In 2020, there were 622 platforms have mushroomed brought about by the internet emerged in the varied work-life balance as workers conditions, to access social Globally, workers, 2022
million active internet users in in the past decade, from and teleworking. research which the ILO has need to put in more hours to protection, and be protected enterprises, governments • The role of digital
India, and it is further poised around 142 in 2010 to over The ILO’s 2021 flagship conducted on this topic. In earn living wages. against discriminatory and the international labour platforms in
to increase in the next three 777 in 2020. Of these, eight report, “The role of digital developed countries, gig work The governance on these conduct and unsafe community need to reach transforming the world
years, rising to 900 million by per cent of all gig work labour platforms in supplements a worker’s platforms is unilateral. workplaces among other a consensus on ensuring of work – 1st BRICS
2025. Pandemic related platforms were based in India transforming the world of primary income. However, in Exclusivity clauses, a fee benefits. the classification of employment working
lockdowns brought gig and in 2020. The country’s digital work”, provided a broad developing nations, it is the charged for accessing the Digital labour platforms and workers’ employment group meeting under
platform workers, an invisible economy, along with the overview of how these worker’s primary income platform, deactivation of the employment they offer status in accordance with the 2021 Indian
but essential workforce, into information and platforms are restructuring source. In India, the two main workers’ accounts, will soon become a ‘new national classification Presidency; 2021
the fore, as people the world communication technologies work. Through extensive reasons driving the rise of performance management at normal’. These challenges systems; ensuring
over relied heavily on online (ICTs) sector, contributes surveys and interviews digital labour are the lack of the platform’s discretion must be addressed to harness transparency and • ILO Centenary
platforms for essential over 13 per cent to the GDP, conducted with 12,000 alternative employment based on digital tools and the fullest potential of accountability of the Declaration for the
services. Digital labour while the government aims to workers in 100 opportunities and the pay algorithms that run the risk of technological advancement algorithms to workers; Future of Work, 2019
platforms have become enhance it to 20 per cent by countries and these platforms offer is better coded biases based on gender, and digitalization to create a ensuring platform and • Global Call to Action
integral to contemporary life. 2025. Since the pandemic about 85 than other forms of ethnicities, and physical future of work that provides self-employed workers for a Human-centred
They have spurred began, online retail, gig businesses employment. abilities can further decent work for all and have the freedom to enjoy Recovery from the
once-in-a-generation work and other forms of worldwide ILO’s latest World disadvantage workers from sustainable enterprises, as collective bargaining COVID-19 crisis; 2021
innovation, competition, and self-employment from Employment and Social accessing the labour market delineated in the Centenary without fear of reprisal; • The role of digital
productivity and created services have risen multiple Outlooks Trends Report 2022 which is already precarious. Declaration and Global Call and ensure that all labour platforms in
unprecedented opportunities exponentially. The sectors, the presents that the rise in gig The work and work to Action. India's Code on workers, including platform
for workers, businesses and meteoric rise of report work is expanding the pool of processes are changing Social Security, 2020 envisages workers, have access to transforming the world
society. At the same time, they these platforms self-employed contractors. through these platforms, and amending and consolidating adequate social security of work; 2021
pose new challenges to has generated Across several developing they are shifting the the existing labour laws and benefits, by extending and • World Employment
decent work and fair interest in nations, self-employment responsibility of investing in extending them to a wider adapting policy and legal and Social Outlook:
competition. policy Trends 2022
circles, capital assets and operating array of workers, including gig frameworks where
costs onto the workers. The and platform workers. This is necessary. • The Code on Social
Ms. Dagmar Walter, Director, ILO Decent Work Technical lack of a physical workplace important as workers outside Security, 2020
Support Team for South Asia and Country Office for India makes it near impossible to of traditional
06 ANALYSIS, RESEARCH, THOUGHT LEADERSHIP & ADVOCACY ANALYSIS, RESEARCH, THOUGHT LEADERSHIP & ADVOCACY 07
QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS
QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS
MAY 2022 MAY 2022