ILO adopts first global treaty on digital platform work
The UN labour agency’s convention sets standards for gig workers and will depend on national ratification and enforcement.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
The International Labour Organization has adopted what it called the first binding global agreement on labour standards for people working through digital platforms. The convention matters because app-based work now covers hundreds of millions of people, many of whom lack protections tied to standard employment, according to AFP and Reuters.
The Decent Work in the Platform Economy Convention was approved Friday at the 114th International Labour Conference in Geneva, the news agencies reported. The ILO, a United Nations agency whose members include governments, employers and workers, said the treaty is meant to cover platform-based jobs such as food delivery and ride-hailing.
ILO members voted 406 in favour, eight against and 36 abstained, according to AFP and Reuters. The text says it applies to all digital labour platforms and to platform workers in both the formal and informal economy.
Standards for app-based work
The agreement seeks to bring labour safeguards to workers who are often treated as independent contractors rather than employees, AFP and Reuters reported. That classification has been used by companies operating apps that influence where and when work is done, according to the news agencies.
The standards include minimum wage protections and obligations linked to health care, sick leave and social security contributions, AFP and Reuters reported. The agreement also addresses worker classification, a central issue in disputes between platforms and people who earn income through them.
The World Bank estimated in 2023 that the number of app-based gig workers worldwide could reach 435 million. The ILO convention is aimed at that expanding workforce, which includes people moving passengers, delivering meals and performing household or care work arranged through online platforms.
Amanda Brown, vice chair of the ILO’s Workers’ Group, which represents trade unions and workers, told delegates the vote marked a landmark moment for platform workers. Brown said the new standard would name, recognise and protect women and men who “move our cities” and provide cleaning and care work in homes.
Employer group points to flexibility
The International Organisation of Employers, which represents about 50 million companies worldwide, welcomed the way the agreement handles national differences, AFP and Reuters reported. Its secretary-general, Roberto Suarez Santos, said the framework respects domestic legal systems and lets countries decide employment status under their own laws and criteria.
The ILO does not directly enforce its conventions, according to AFP and Reuters. Members can bring formal complaints, which may lead to investigations and add pressure on governments.
The agreement’s practical effect will depend on ratification by individual countries and the steps they take to write it into domestic law, the news agencies reported. Once a convention is ratified and incorporated nationally, individuals may be able to bring legal claims against gig economy platforms seeking redress.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.