What allows companies to keep workers casual, celebrating ‘partners’ for PR purposes while ignoring protests demanding basic rights?
| Relevancy for Prelims: Gig workers, Heatwave, Partnership Model, etc.
Relevancy for Mains: Plight of delivery workers in India’s gig economy, Measures needed to protect rights and ensure fair treatment of gig workers, etc. |
Worker Conditions
- Heatwave Impact: Workers endure extreme heat; customers are asked to offer water to delivery personnel.
- Lack of Support: Companies like Blinkit, Zomato, Zepto, and Swiggy provide no hazard pay or assistance.
- Low Wages: Amazon warehouse workers earn less than Rs 11,000 per month.
- Inhuman Treatment: Workers are forced to take an oath not to drink water or use the toilet until targets are met, violating labour laws.
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Comparison with Global Practices
- Jeff Bezos: Amazon founder’s wealth is nearly $200 billion.
- Labour Exploitation: Similar inhuman treatment of Amazon workers in the US and India.
- Partnership Model: Companies like Uber use a “partnership” model to avoid providing job security and benefits.
Innovation and Inequality
- Guaranteed Deliveries: Companies rely on a vast labour force for sorting, sourcing, and delivery.
- Gig Workers: Lack job security, benefits, and recourse when mistreated.
- Economic Disparity: Gig workers’ low wages prevent them from affording the products they deliver.
Capitalism Critique “Historical Comparison”
- Henry Ford: Innovated assembly lines and ensured workers could afford the products they made.
- Modern Plutocrats: Innovators like Bezos lack similar concern for workers’ wages.
Labour Market Dynamics in India
- Abundance of Cheap Labour: Desperation for employment leads to acceptance of any available work.
- Gig Work vs. Jobs: Gig work provides employment but lacks the stability and benefits of traditional jobs.
- Economic Theories: Some economists argue that any work is better than no work and that economic growth will address dignity and decency issues over time.
Role of the State and Society
- Historical Norms: The fight for the eight-hour workday in the late 19th century led to labour laws to prevent exploitation.
- Constitutional Rights: Dignity and equality are fundamental rights in the Indian Constitution.
- Economic Desperation: Should not justify degrading treatment of workers.
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Conclusion
Real change for gig workers requires systemic reforms, not superficial PR gestures. Ensuring dignity and fair treatment is essential for sustainable economic and social well-being.
17 Jun 2024
