Decent Work vis-a-vis Workers’ Data Rights and Social Security Concerns in an Algorithmified Workplace

The question of decent work for the platform economy is one of significance, in light of the millions of workers engaged in online web-based or location-based services globally.  The ILO meeting of experts on Decent Work in the Platform Economy has outlined a detailed list of considerations to be addressed in its meeting between 10-14 October, 2022, and IT for Change appreciates and supports this initiative. To that effect, IT for Change, with its experience of research in the field of digital and platform economy, is offering its inputs for the consideration of the expert committee, in order to provide an embedded, as well as analytical lens on the questions at hand.

Key recommendations include:

Recommendation 1 – Workers' economic rights to data must be recognized and promoted, and collective rights of workers must be asserted.

Recommendation 2 – Data portability for platform work should be a right not only for performance metrics, but also platform accountability.

Recommendation 3 – Algorithmic management must be recognised as a new form of managerial control, and associated harms of automated decision-making must be acknowledged.

Recommendation 4 – Social protection schemes should recognise platform companies’ accountability towards platform workers, and this accountability should be based on facts relating to the actual performance of work rather than contractual classification of the employment relationship.

Read the complete policy input here.

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