Anita Gurumurthy participated at the launch of “Global Manifesto for Fairer Platform Work” published by Fairwork. In anticipation of the ILO's Meeting of Experts on Decent Work in the Platform Economy, a 'Manifesto for Fairer Platform Work' to protect and ensure the rights of platform workers across the world was launched on October 7 at 7.30 pm IST. The document has been developed by leading researchers from different countries and institutions involved in analyzing the platform economy and its consequences on workers.
Platform work is a source of livelihood for millions of workers around the world, with more joining the ranks because of the Covid-19 pandemic. These new work arrangements are promoted by digital labor platforms, companies that use digital resources to mediate value-creating interactions between consumers and individual service-providing workers.
On the one hand, platforms constitute an alternative for workers, granting more autonomy of flexibility than more traditional forms of work. On the other hand, however, they facilitate precarious arrangements with low pay, poor working conditions, inaccessible and unreasonable conditions, unfair management, and a lack of representation.
This Manifesto argues that fair conditions for platform workers should be in place to address this lack of rights and protections. It advocates for the urgency of international guidelines that can promote fair platform work standards in national statutory regulations and policies. It outlines the challenges posed by these new labor relations in crucial aspects, such as misclassification, low pay, health and safety risks, discrimination, non-transparent algorithmic management and more.
During the launch, besides Anita, Prof. Veena Dubal, UC Hastings College of the Law; and Prof. Sandra Fredman, University of Oxford spoke at the event. The session was chaired by Oscar Javier Maldonado Castaneda, Universidad del Rosario.
You can read the Manifesto here.