UN: Workers’ rights under threat as online work surges five-fold

A food delivery app worker wearing a protective mask rides along a street in Jakarta, Indonesia. The ILO found significant inequities in the platform economy, with workers in developing countries earning 60% less than those in developed countries, even after controlling for basic characteristics and types of tasks.— Reuters

BERLIN: Digital platforms have soared five-fold over the past decade, offering opportunities to some but also eroding workers' rights, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) said on Tuesday.

From ride-sharing apps like Uber and online marketplaces like UpWork linking freelancers and clients, to software that allows employers to oversee workers, digital platforms have transformed the nature of work, the UN’s ILO said.