News

On September 22-23, Christina Colclough, UNI Global Union’s Senior Advisor on digitalisation, participated at a ILO technical workshop on Decent Work in the On-Demand Economy.

The 30 researchers and experts from countries spanning from Korea across to the United States discussed the various types of platforms, the working conditions in the on-demand economy, the legal debates surrounding employee rights and employer duties, and finally policies to improve the working conditions and social protection coverage for on-demand economy workers.

Time to change

Colclough’s intervention flipped the discussions around and focussed on the necessity of securing all types of workers in all forms of employment the same social and fundamental rights. She explains: “We can discuss the various types of platforms, the many different and often precarious forms of employment, and the unacceptable, growing number of workers having to make do with insecure income. But why not turn everything upside down, and demand that every type of worker in the online and offline economy are guaranteed the same, enforceable rights? Right to organise, to collectively bargain, right to social protection and training. Whilst digitalisation brings exciting new opportunities to all, we must make sure that all workers are treated fairly, have decent jobs and fair conditions.” 

Protests are spreading

From Deliveroo riders in London, to Uber chauffeurs across the United States, to Amazon Mechanical Turk workers uniting in protest, a growing number of on-demand workers are voicing their discontent with the low pay and poor working conditions. UNI Global Union and our affiliates across the world support their efforts and are working with policy makers and progressive platforms to make the digital economy a fair and just economy for all. At the Future World of Work Leaders’ Summit on November 15 in Nyon, an exclusive list of high-level speakers will discuss the potentials and challenges of the Future World of Work with UNI Global Union’s top leaders.