The Manila Times

Labor conditions in the PH platform economy

NOEMI LARDIZABAL-DADO

TENS of millions of digital platform workers live all over the world, doing work that is outsourced via platforms or apps. In many countries like the Philippines, platform firm labor has attracted many informal workers including those formerly employed workers who have lost jobs or were displaced during the pandemic. Fairwork Philippines (Fairwork PH) recently launched a report from their first independent investigation of the working conditions in the Philippine platform economy. Prof. Cheryll Soriano, principal investigator of Fairwork Philippines and professor at De La Salle University’s Department of Communication, said their research estimates close to half a million platform workers. There could be more. For sure, many are not registered and accounted for in official statistics.

Nine of the country’s largest digital labor platforms — Angkas, Borzo (formerly MrSpeedy), Foodpanda, Grab Car, Grab Food/Express, Joyride, Lalamove, TokTok and Transportify — were assessed against five principles of fairness: fair pay, fair conditions, fair contracts, fair management and fair representation, giving each a fairness score out of 10. Data collection was done through desk research, worker interviews and manager interviews. Final scores were collectively decided by the Fairwork team based on all three forms of evidence. This Fairwork PH 2022 Report presented the first set of Fairwork ratings for the Philippines and established a baseline for the country’s platform economy that would be updated on a yearly basis.

Fairwork PH scores 2022 for the nine platforms show low overall performance with a variation of how well platforms performed. Out of a possible 10 points, GrabCar, GrabExpress/Grabfood obtained three points while Angkas and Lalamove received two points. When Borzo, Foodpanda, Joyfride, TokTok and Transportify are not scored, it means Fairwork lacks evidence to be able to support and ascertain that these platforms are offering these services or policies.

Let’s look at how the nine platforms addressed five principles of fairness.

1. Fair pay: None of the nine platforms showed commitment to guaranteeing that workers earned the minimum wage and living wage after costs. Regardless of the platform, workers render unpaid waiting time, training time and travel time.

2. Fair conditions: Four platforms like GrabCar, Grabfood/Express, Angkas and Lalamove provided mechanisms to mitigate tasks specific risks, including the provision of free accident insurance and emergency buttons, with some even providing assistance to those victimized by fake bookings.

3. Fair contracts: The same four platforms provide clear and transparent terms and conditions. No platforms have contracts that do not exclude them from liability.

4. Fair management: GrabCar and Grabfood/Express were evidence to have precise communication mechanisms for workers to meaningfully appeal low ratings, non-payment or other payment issues, deactivations, and other penalties and disciplinary actions, providing workers greater recourse opportunities. None demonstrated policy commitment to equity in the management process.

5. Fair representation: The nine platforms did not demonstrate that they took appropriate steps to ensure that workers are informed of their rights to organize and collectively express their wishes.

Key findings show opportunity and vulnerability. Many of the workers interviewed joined gig work for the first time after having been displaced during the pandemic. Despite the challenges, platform labor is apparent as an opportunity not just to augment income but as a flexible option to a main source of livelihood. Another key finding is exposure to greater risks with limited guarantees for social protection such as illness and road accidents as well as fake booking for food deliveries.

Regardless of the platform, workers rendered unpaid labor-time for waiting time for orders or jobs. Lured by the opportunities of the platform economy, it pushes workers to invest in a car, motorbike or mobile devices. They would borrow from money lenders or go for loans on the assumption that they would be able to recover their investment. A few workers that Fairworks PH failed to pay loan payments and their cars were seized by these lenders. Soriano added that the “promotion of platform labor as an opportunity needs to be matched with ample protections and safeguards so that workers do not fall into economically precarious conditions.”

Sunday Business & I.t.

en-ph

2022-08-14T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-08-14T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://manilatimes.pressreader.com/article/282041920911985

The Manila Times