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Negotiating labour standards in the gig economy: Airtasker and Unions New South Wales

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  • Kate Minter

Abstract

The ‘gig economy’ uses digital platforms to bypass many of the regular responsibilities and costs of employment. Ambiguity as to whether gig-economy workers are independent contractors, dependent contractors or employees allows the undermining of traditional labour standards governing minimum wages and other legislated employment conditions. Labour law and institutions need to catch up to the new reality of this form of work and develop new tools to protect and enhance minimum standards for workers in digital platform businesses. Unions, business and government all have a role to play in the long term. Meanwhile, direct engagement between these new firms and workers’ advocates can also help to mitigate the risks posed to labour standards by digital business models, by addressing regulatory gaps. This article is a case study of innovative negotiations between one platform business (Airtasker) and Unions New South Wales, a peak trade unions body in New South Wales, Australia, in order to establish agreed minimum standards for engagements negotiated through this platform.

Suggested Citation

  • Kate Minter, 2017. "Negotiating labour standards in the gig economy: Airtasker and Unions New South Wales," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 28(3), pages 438-454, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ecolab:v:28:y:2017:i:3:p:438-454
    DOI: 10.1177/1035304617724305
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Adermon, Adrian & Hensvik, Lena, 2022. "Gig-jobs: Stepping stones or dead ends?," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    3. Sutherland, Will & Jarrahi, Mohammad Hossein, 2018. "The sharing economy and digital platforms: A review and research agenda," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 328-341.
    4. Anamitra Roychowdhury, 2019. "Application of job security laws, workers’ bargaining power and employment outcomes in India," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 30(1), pages 120-141, March.
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    7. Dick Bryan & Michael Rafferty & Phillip Toner & Sally Wright, 2017. "Financialisation and labour in the Australian commercial construction industry," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 28(4), pages 500-518, December.
    8. Tan, Zhi Ming & Aggarwal, Nikita & Cowls, Josh & Morley, Jessica & Taddeo, Mariarosaria & Floridi, Luciano, 2021. "The ethical debate about the gig economy: A review and critical analysis," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    9. Uchiyama, Yosuke & Furuoka, Fumitaka & Md. Akhir, Md. Nasrudin, 2022. "Gig Workers, Social Protection and Labour Market Inequality: Lessons from Malaysia," Jurnal Ekonomi Malaysia, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, vol. 56(3), pages 165-184.
    10. Francisca GUTIÉRREZ CROCCO & Maurizio ATZENI, 2022. "The effects of the pandemic on gig economy couriers in Argentina and Chile: Precarity, algorithmic control and mobilization," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 161(3), pages 441-461, September.
    11. Ensar Balkaya & İkram Yusuf Yarbaşı & Muhammed İkbal Tepeler, 2023. "Determinants of Demand in Digital Platform-Mediated Service Work in Turkey: An Empirical Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-18, July.
    12. Charalampos STYLOGIANNIS, 2023. "Freedom of association and collective bargaining in the platform economy: A human rights‐based approach and an ever‐increasing mobilization of workers," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 162(1), pages 123-145, March.
    13. Danielle Logue & Matthew Grimes, 2022. "Platforms for the people: Enabling civic crowdfunding through the cultivation of institutional infrastructure," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(3), pages 663-693, March.
    14. Jesús M Artero & Cristina Borra & Rosario Gómez-Alvarez, 2020. "Education, inequality and use of digital collaborative platforms: The European case," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 31(3), pages 364-382, September.
    15. Rafael Laurenti & Jagdeep Singh & Joao Miguel Cotrim & Martina Toni & Rajib Sinha, 2019. "Characterizing the Sharing Economy State of the Research: A Systematic Map," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-21, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Digital platform work; ‘gig’ economy; independent contractors; industrial relations; labour standards; ‘sharing economy’;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J82 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Standards - - - Labor Force Composition
    • J83 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Standards - - - Workers' Rights
    • J88 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Standards - - - Public Policy

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