Gig workers in precarious life: The trajectory of exploitation, insecurity, and resistance

Abstract

The growing informal nature of employment in the gig economy does not only merely provide employment for many but also causes exploitation, insecurity, and exclusion from social security because of its informal status. Workers in gig work often go through long working hours, low wages, fear of losing their job, and insecurity which result in their precarious life condition. They experience vulnerabilities related to their employment, residency status, and unfamiliarity with local frameworks—labor law, health, and safety hazards at work which certainly highlights precarious life situations. Besides precarity, gig workers from poor socio-economic backgrounds often experience discrimination and exclusion because of their social positioning in society. Therefore, the article tries to unfold their experiences of exploitation and insecurity, struggles, and challenges. Further, the article also examines the contemporary agitation and resistance of gig workers against the exploitative policies of aggregators and state measures to address the problem of gig workers in India.