ILO members set to vote on first global gig work treaty

GENEVA: The International Labour Organisation is expected to decide on Friday whether to adopt what would be the first international agreement focused on protecting workers in the gig economy, following the conclusion of negotiations on a draft convention.

After nearly two weeks of committee discussions and an all-night final round of talks, negotiators agreed on Thursday on a draft convention titled Decent Work in the Platform Economy. The eight-page text, published on the ILO’s website, still requires formal approval by the UN agency’s full membership at the plenary session closing its annual gathering.

If adopted, the agreement could expand labour protections to hundreds of millions of people working through digital platforms in sectors such as food delivery, ride services and dog walking. The World Bank estimated in 2023 that there were as many as 435 million online gig workers worldwide, many of whom remain outside standard labour protections.

Platform companies typically manage work through algorithms that allocate tasks, determine pay, assess performance and can also terminate workers. Even so, these companies often classify workers as independent contractors rather than employees, a distinction that in many cases enables them to avoid obligations linked to minimum wages, workplace safety and social security access.

Draft text seeks core labour protections

The draft convention calls on countries to ensure core labour rights for platform workers regardless of whether companies label them employees or contractors. The proposed agreement comes as labour regulation has struggled to keep up with rapid changes in the organisation of work.

Lena Simet, senior economic justice adviser at Human Rights Watch, described the proposed convention as a major development for workers using digital platforms. “This convention would mark a turning point for platform workers worldwide,” he said.

She said it would establish the first global benchmark for protecting their rights and making digital labour platforms answerable for their conduct.

Support voiced during Geneva talks

Britain’s Minister for Employment Rights and Consumer Protection Kate Dearden said an international agreement was urgently needed. Speaking to reporters in Geneva, she said workers should have access to good quality jobs regardless of the form their work takes.

Dearden also said flexibility and job security should not be treated as competing goals.

The proposed convention is now awaiting a final decision from the ILO’s full membership, which is due to conclude its annual decision-making meeting on Friday.