Why in News?
- India abstained from voting on ILO Convention No. 193 – Decent Work in the Platform Economy, choosing not to back the world's first legally binding international labour standard for gig and platform workers.
Importance
- This creates the legally binding international framework for protecting the rights of gig and platform workers.
- Fair wages, security, workplace safety and transparency in digital platform work all benefit.
- It provides the world with a set of standards to balance tech-driven innovation with workers rights and sustainable growth.
Key Highlights
- Adoption: ILC approved the Convention with 406 votes in favor 8 against and 36 abstentions, with India among the abstentions.
- Coverage: Digital labour platforms and platform workers both employees and self-employed doing location-based or online work.
- Workers Rights: Safety and health social security, fair pay, data protection, privacy, violence and harassment access to justice.
- Algorithmic Management: Transparency is now needed when automated decision-making systems are used. There are review mechanisms in place for when algorithm-based decisions affect workers.
- Implementation: Once a country ratifies it the Convention has to be implemented through laws, regulations, policies or collective agreements.
Static Facts
International Labour Organization (ILO):
- Set up in 1919 under the Treaty of Versailles.
- Became the UN's first specialised agency in 1946.
- Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
- Members: 187 countries.
- It's the only UN agency with a tripartite structure, representing governments, employers and workers together.
- India's been a founding member since 1919.
About Gig Economy
- The gig economy is basically a labour market built around short-term, flexible, task-based work, mostly running through digital platforms.
- Gig workers include ride-hailing drivers, food delivery partners, freelancers and other platform-based service providers.
- NITI Aayog projects India's gig workforce growing from 7.7 million in 2020 to 23.5 million by 2029–30.
- On the policy front, the Code on Social Security, 2020 recognises gig and platform workers and sets up social security schemes for them, and through the e-Shram Portal, a national database of unorganised workers is maintained.
