The Developmental Possibilities of Gig Work on Digital Platforms: The Limits to the Hope and Hype in India
摘要
Institutional changes that have emphasised flexible labour markets and advances in technologies, have made digital platforms commonplace. As platforms mediate an increasing number of services, the dominant work opportunity they offer is gigs to independent contractors. Thanks to a power asymmetry between gig workers and platforms, and little regulatory control over gig work, the conditions of work are largely determined by platforms. Nevertheless, there is hope vested in the developmental possibilities of the platform economy through the gradual formalisation of gig work. This paper examines the possibilities and the tensions inherent to any formalisation by drawing on evidence from India, which has a large and rapidly growing platform economy.