INTERVENTION SPOTLIGHT

CIS has been supporting the creation of a well governed ecosystem around the issue of gig worker rights.

Technology has shifted the contours of existing jobs and has become a major driver of the gig economy in India. Platform gig workers in India have been facing concerns related to working conditions, wages and other social security issues. There has been a series of strikes between 2017 and 2020 across the country demanding social security cover.

It was in light of these events that the Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers came into existence in 2019. The Centre for Internet & Society (CIS) worked with the worker associations, IFAT and International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) on an evidence-based research study in six cities in India to assess the working conditions of app-based drivers. The study also covered the impact of the pandemic on these platform gig workers.

Based on the research support provided by CIS, IFAT filed a PIL against leading cab and food delivery platforms demanding social security benefits. The petitioners also referred to the recent UK ruling on providing social security benefits to platform workers. The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the central government towards the same.

CIS’ rigorous and credible research helped build early evidence and a vocabulary around the nascent and emergent risks concerning workers’ rights in a digital society.

8: Access to Diverse Income Generation Activities through Gig Economy | Poor Social Security Benefits for Gig Workers

Despite the increased recognition of concerns of gig workers, legal clarity and solutions to combat this risk remain limited. The recognition and awareness is also limited to technocrats and a small section of the population. Our research suggests the following pathways for philanthropic investment to move the system to the next stage of evolution:

Building consensus through large datasets, policies and, legal ecosystem.

Piloting private sector solutions that eliminate the trade-offs in diverging priorities of private, public and social sectors.

The table below presents gap areas and illustrative funding opportunities for philanthropy to advance the discourse and pilot solutions to protect the rights of gig workers:

Conduct credible and pan-India research and datasets on the potential risks for gig-economy workers and disseminate the findings to increase awareness among individuals and decision makers.

Fund organisations that can improve the government’s capacity and strengthen its processes to enable a more efficient implementation of the rules made under the Code on Social Security.

Fund proof of concept for new technology and business models that are worker-first. For example, those who provide social security benefits and in-app support to workers.