Bengaluru: Despite the growing significance of the gig economy, huge discrepancies in the treatment of platform workers continue, with certain companies seriously underperforming on fair labour standards, according to the Fairwork India Report 2024.
The International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIITB)'s Centre for Information Technology and Public Policy (CITAPP) released a report indicating that, out of the 11 platforms assessed, Amazon Flex, Flipkart, Porter, Uber, and other companies were identified as significant underachievers, as they did not fulfil the fundamental requirements for equitable compensation, transparent contracts, and worker representation. Based on five principles—fair pay, fair conditions, fair contracts, fair management, and fair representation—the Fairwork India team evaluated these platforms, Indian Express reported.
The sixth annual study by Fairwork looked at how platform work is evolving as platforms gain more control over the hours and duration that workers can perform services or gigs. It also covered how planned laws would affect platform workers in Jharkhand and Karnataka.
“This year witnessed gig workers’ welfare increasingly gain attention in political manifestos and legislative initiatives. But with the implementation of these efforts remaining uncertain, and platforms redefining gig work, research and advocacy to improve the conditions of gig workers are ever more relevant,” said Professors Balaji Parthasarathy and Janaki Srinivasan, the principal investigators of the team.
The results, which combine worker interviews with desk research, paint a clear picture of the working conditions in India's expanding gig economy. With a score of just two out of ten, Amazon Flex—the company's last-mile delivery division—was unable to comply with the majority of Fairwork's tenets. By giving its employees basic safety gear and training, it was able to secure the first point for fair conditions, but it failed in every other area.
The research claims that the platform did not guarantee equitable compensation because workers' earnings frequently fell short of the minimum wage in the area, particularly when work-related expenses like fuel and car maintenance were taken into consideration.
According to the Fairwork India Report 2024, Amazon Flex failed to achieve the necessary standards for fair contracts, fair management, and fair representation, indicating a serious lack of contract transparency, grievance redressal procedures, and worker collective voice.