In this first episode, we begin our journey to understand platformisation and its implications. We start by exploring how it all began - what the advent of technology has meant for the labour market, how the emergence of platform based work has been an important implication of it and why it’s gained such traction. We speak to labour economists and trade unionists to understand what platforms are, how and why platform-based gig work has gained popularity over the years, and what it means for the future of work especially in Global South countries.

This podcast series is brought to you by IT for Change, and supported by Friederich Ebert Stiftung (FES) and Fair Green Global (FGG). 

Host: Sonakshi Agarwal (IT for Change)

Guest Speakers:

Uma Rani (International Labour Organisation)

Salonie Hiriyadur (SEWA Federation)

Paaritosh Nath (Azim Premji University)

Basudev Barman (International Transport Workers’ Federation)

Spandan Pratyush (All India Gig Workers’ Union)

References and additional reading:

1. World Employment and Social Outlook - The role of digital labour platforms in transforming the world of work (ILO)

https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/documents/publication/wcms_771749.pdf

2. World Development Report 2019 THE CHANGING NATURE OF WORK

https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/wdr2019

3. Decent work in the platform economy - Background document for the Meeting of experts on decent work in the platform economy (Geneva, 10–14 October 2022) (ILO)

https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/non-standard-employment/whatsnew/WCMS_855048/lang--en/index.htm

4. Inputs to ILO meeting of experts on decent work in the platform economy (IT for Change)

https://itforchange.net/sites/default/files/add/ITfC-Policy-Inputs-on-Data-Rights-Decent-Work.pdf

5. Platform Planet – Development in the Intelligence Economy (IT for Change)

https://projects.itforchange.net/platformpolitics/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Platform-Planet-Development-in-the-Intelligence-Economy_ITfC_2019.pdf