Ola scores a duck in rankings for gig worker fairness
For the third year in a row, Ola has received a dismal score of zero out of 10 in Fairwork's evaluation of e-commerce platforms regarding fair treatment of gig workers. Meanwhile, BluSmart took the lead in the ride-hailing sector with five points, followed by Uber with a single point. BigBasket claimed the top spot in fairness with six points, while Swiggy, Zomato, Urban Company, and BluSmart tied for second place, each earning 5 points.
BluSmart's operational model offers hope for better conditions
BluSmart was included in the Fairwork India team's ratings due to its distinctive operational model. In contrast to other platforms that rely on "asset-light" models, BluSmart owns and leases vehicles to its workers. The report indicates cautious optimism that this method could pave the way for better conditions for drivers in the platform economy. Balaji Parthasarathy and Janaki Srinivasan, the report's principal investigators, expressed hope that shedding light on worker experiences would result in structural changes.
Fair pay principle and minimum wage policies
Only Flipkart, BigBasket, and Urban Company had a minimum wage policy in place to guarantee workers receive at least the hourly local minimum wage after accounting for work-related expenses. No platform achieved the second point of the Fair Pay principle, which necessitates proof that workers earn at least the local living wage after considering work-related costs. However, Urban Company publicly pledged to ensure its workers earn at least the local living wage after factoring in work-related expenses.
Platforms awarded points for fair conditions and contracts
Amazon Flex, BigBasket, Flipkart, BluSmart, Swiggy, Urban Company, Zomato, Uber, and Zepto, earned the first point under Fair Conditions principle for supplying adequate safety equipment and offering regular safety training. Only BigBasket, Zepto, Swiggy, Urban Company, and Zomato received the second point. This was for offering accident insurance coverage for free, financial compensation for income loss due to medical reasons barring accidents, and guaranteeing workers' standing was not impacted when returning after a break taken with prior notice.
