The sector has taken advantage of the lack of regulation to grow

ILO seeks to dignify growing employment through digital platforms 

photo_camera REUTERS/ERIC GAILLAR  - A Just Eat delivery man on his bicycle in Nice amid the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in France, 16 February 2021

Digital work platforms (online networks of drivers, delivery workers, self-employed, etc.) have grown fivefold in a decade, a growth that must be accompanied by regulation for more decent employment, the International Labour Organization (ILO) warns today. 

In a new report, the ILO says this growing sector still poses numerous problems, including "long and unpredictable" working hours and low wages, with half of these employees earning less than two dollars an hour. 

Aplicación Uber se ve en un teléfono móvil en Londres  PHOTO/REUTERS 
No social protection or collective bargaining

The organisation also denounces "the impossibility of enjoying the rights to social protection, freedom of association and collective bargaining" for many such workers. 

As far as companies are concerned, the report notes that these platforms pose problems of unfair competition, lack of transparency in data and pricing, as well as costly commissions. 

Moreover, the nascent sector "is increasingly blurring the clear distinction that used to exist between employees and freelancers", with working conditions often determined by a unilateral service contract. 

The report adds that it is increasingly common for the assessment and supervision of workers on these platforms to "rely on algorithms, rather than humans". 

Mensajero del servicio de entrega de alimentos Deliveroo monta en bicicleta en el centro de Bruselas, Bélgica, el 16 de enero de 2020  PHOTO/REUTERS 
Algorithms that discriminate 

These algorithms "define and alter how workers are hired and paid, and are far from neutral, as they are designed by programmers following instructions that can sometimes result in discriminatory practices," ILO Director-General Guy Ryder warned in presenting the report. 

The organisation's economist Uma Rani, one of the authors of the study, stressed that one of the surprising points about these platforms is that "employees on them have to pay a commission to work, something that does not happen in the offline labour market". 

Ryder stressed that these and other problems arising from the rise of these new forms of employment "must be addressed through international social dialogue so that workers, employers and governments can benefit fully and equally from these developments". 

He noted, however, that "digital work platforms are opening up opportunities that did not exist before, particularly for women, youth, people with disabilities and marginalised groups around the world". 

The study also shows that the sector is still unevenly distributed around the world, with 96% of investment in these platforms concentrated in Asia, North America and Europe, and 70% of the profits accruing to just two countries, China and the United States. 

El director general de la Organización Internacional del Trabajo (OIT), Guy Ryder  AFP/FABRICE COFFRINI 
Outsourcing to pay less 

At the same time, much of the work on these platforms is outsourced from companies in the developed world to developing countries, where their workers are paid less, an inequality that, in the ILO's view, "perpetuates the digital divide and could exacerbate inequalities". 

In light of this report, the ILO calls for "transparency and accountability" regarding the algorithms used in such platforms, as well as allowing collective bargaining for workers, and better access to social security benefits. 

Online taxi and delivery services (such as Uber, Lyft, Deliveroo, Just Eat) have increased worldwide from 142 in 2010 to more than 777 in 2020 and are still concentrated in a few countries, such as the United States (representing 29 % of the total), India (8 %) or the United Kingdom (5 %). 

En esta foto de archivo del 1 de julio de 2020, la trabajadora de Instacart Saori Okawa carga alimentos en su coche para entregarlos a domicilio en San Leandro, California  AP/BEN MARGOT 
Young people, sometimes supplemented by other jobs 

The majority of workers on these platforms are under 35 years old with a high level of education, particularly in developing countries, and work around 23 hours per week, although often supplemented by other types of work. 

Long hours are common for drivers and delivery drivers on these platforms, who work around 60 hours per week. 

A high proportion of these drivers and delivery drivers, over 70%, report some degree of work-related stress "due to traffic congestion, low pay, lack of orders or customers, excessive working hours, risk of work-related injury or pressure to drive fast". 

La aplicación Drizly, la aplicación Uber Eats y la aplicación Uber se muestran en una pantalla  REUTERS/BRENDAN McDERMID 

Surprisingly, the study does not give figures for how many workers in the world rely on these platforms, although, Ryder explained, this is difficult to quantify, partly because many of these businesses do not share this information, but also because of the diversity of employee circumstances. 

"It's not easy to include people who work one or two hours a week on these platforms alongside people who may work 65 hours a week, so we're cautious about giving a round figure," he said.  

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