AN ANALYSIS OF GIG WORKERS AND THE CHALLENGES SURROUNDING THEIR EMPLOYMENT

AUTHOR – JANANI P, STUDENT OF SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE IN LAW, THE TAMIL NADU DR. AMBEDKAR LAW UNIVERSITY

BEST CITATION – JANANI P, AN ANALYSIS OF GIG WORKERS AND THE CHALLENGES SURROUNDING THEIR EMPLOYMENT, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 5 (5) OF 2025, PG. 376-381, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344

ABSTRACT

There are around 450 million unorganized laborers in India, making up 92.4% of the country’s employment.  Approximately 83% of the workforce is employed in the unorganized sector. Remarkably, a brand-new unorganized labor market known as “gig workers” or “platform-based” workers has arisen in the past ten years.  The Unorganized Workers’ Social Security Act of 2008 defines an “unorganized worker” as a wage worker, self-employed worker, or home-based worker.  Gig workers may not be included in this definition, but they are covered by the second clause, which states that no labor regulation defines the word. Since they are hired by companies using digital applications, resulting in a platform-dependent employment structure, they are referred to as platform workers. The first Indian state to create legislation protecting gig workers and giving them a sufficient regulatory framework to stop exploitation of their freelancing employment was Rajasthan. This essay examines a number of gig economy-related topics while accounting for the growing need for platform labor. It also offers a well-thought-out framework for harmonious connections between the aggregator and the workers, as well as specific actions to fulfill their requirements. During the COVID-19 epidemic, the gig economy flourished in large part because it was useful for delivering necessities, food, and transportation services, all of which were severely impacted. The scope of the research is limited to discussing various issues faced by platform workers (workers employed by aggregators like Swiggy, Ola, Uber etc.) and suggesting certain solutions for the same.

Keywords : Gig Workers, Digital Platform, Social Security, Redressal Mechanism, Platform Workers