Business
Opinion: The Dark Side of the Gig Economy: Exploitation, Tough Competition and the Urgent Need for Reform
Commentary | The gig economy is letting down its workers and requires immediate overhaul
The widespread abuse of temporary workers merely highlights the urgency for improved safeguards.
In the newly premiered Chinese movie, Upstream, the main character, Gao Zhilei, portrayed by Xu Zheng, takes on a job as a food delivery driver to provide for his family following his job loss from a professional position.
Companies operating on platforms hire individuals ready to provide a service, label them as "freelance contractors", allocate them tasks, and compensate them for the services rendered – once a certain fee has been subtracted.
It may seem straightforward – an earning opportunity with adaptable work schedules. However, it's not, as the protagonist in Upstream's story discovered. Gao contends with intense rivalry, incredibly extended work periods, and is compelled to endanger himself on the streets to meet absurd delivery quotas just to get by.
In India, certain freelance workers are required to pay for their own recruitment as self-employed contractors, as well as for necessary training. According to a 2022 study by the All India Gig Workers Union, jobs that were guaranteed were frequently scheduled at unusual times, sometimes even past midnight, and were then marked as "missed" the following day.
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