Progress and pushback—Karnataka's draft gig worker legislation

As gig work becomes an increasingly integral part of the global economy, countries the world over are increasingly looking at how to protect the rights of these workers. Mere months ago, for instance, European Union countries finalised a set of draft rules to determine when gig workers should be recognised as employees rather than independent contractors, allowing them to claim benefits such as sick pay. The EU alone is home to some 28.5 million gig workers.

In India, too, the explosion of digital platforms has seen gig work go decidedly mainstream. Today, an estimated 7 million Indians are employed by the gig economy, with this number expected to rise more than 3X in the next five years. But despite their strength in numbers, there’s little in the way of legislation to protect them from exploitation or harsh working conditions.

Sample this, according to one survey of 5,000 gig workers across 32 Indian cities by Delhi-based NGO Janpahal, just over a fifth of gig workers clock more than 12 working hours a day. Two in three women gig workers, meanwhile, complained of unsafe working conditions.