"Research reveals dark side of gig economy", 27 August 2022

The gig economy has been encouraging a race to the bottom with respect to the working conditions, according to a research report by Fairwork Foundation of the Oxford University and the Centre for Labour Research, Pakistan.

The country has nearly two per cent of its labour force engaged in the gig economy through online and location-based services (...) The study found that most of the companies...failed to ensure minimum standards of fair work such as ensuring all workers earn above the national minimum wage.

The report titled “Pakistan Ratings 2022: Labour Stan­dards in the Platform Economy” ranks platforms against five principles of fair work, giving each company a score out of 10. The report found that the majority of the seven platforms are failing to meet the basic standards of fairness when benchmarked against the Fairwork principles.

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None of the seven platforms assessed by researchers had a formalised process where workers could appeal decisions. None of the platforms allowed for collective representation of workers, it said.