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The Citizen reports that according to a new study by Fairwork SA, app workers, namely those who drive/derive work via apps such as Uber, Bolt and Mr D, are not adequately protected amid the cost-of-living crisis.
The study found that these workers continued to face insufficient wages, unfair working conditions, and lack of benefits and protection afforded to employees. More than 1% of the SA workforce finds work via digital platforms such as these apps, but the report by Fairwork found that many of these workers faced low pay and dangerous conditions. Thirteen of the most popular platforms in SA were rated from 0 to 10 according to five principles of fair work (pay, conditions, contracts, management and representation). SweepSouth, an app that offers home cleaning, gardening services, electricians, plumbers and more, ranked the highest with 7 out of 10 points. It was followed by getTOD, M4JAM and Mr D with 6 points each. Droppa, Indriver and SecretAgent were at the bottom of the 2022 ranking, as they could not provide evidence that they met any Fairwork criteria of decent work. Multinational companies like Uber or Bolt also scored poorly, with 2 and 1 points respectively. While in previous years it was enough for platforms to have a written policy to achieve points, this year they were asked for its practical application by providing evidence they compensated workers for their inability to work and that workers had a real say in their working conditions. None of the platforms could prove either of the criteria. Regardless of the sector, most app platform workers reported transportation costs as the biggest contributor to their work-related expenses. Almost half the app platform workers interviewed this year raised safety as one of their main challenges. Delivery and ride-hailing drivers interviewed pointed out that the threat of hijacking and assault was a daily worry.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Devina Haripersad at The Citizen
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page