Gig workers function in high pressure environments, without social security, and often without government oversight in terms of adequate laws to protect them, a panel of experts said.
“The performance standards are so high, that often instead of asking for a tip, they may have asked you for a five-star rating. This ensures they get work soon. A slightly lower rating does have an effect on them,” Sajjad Hussain, who’s doctoral thesis deals with gig workers, said at the Hyderabad Urban Lab-organised Do Din. “In the service sector, we get the impression that the worker is associated with the company. That is not the case with gig workers. They are independent contractors.”
He said that earlier it was governments which used to fix fares. Given the entry of aggregators, this function is now the domain of companies, he said.
