Commissioned by Creative Court, het geluid Maastricht and H401
2021-2022
The precarious situation of gig-economy workers
Originally started as the sharing economy, proponents foresaw a transformation of the experience of work – flexibility, autonomy, and reasonable income for workers. Soon, this innovative concept converted into the exploitation of labourer, now it’s called gig economy. Present days society on-demand calls for individualized services as much as never before. Work opportunities and the accessibility of it increase rapidly through the digitalization of international service providers, assigning digital profiles of real-life workers to physical work.
This project focuses on the status quo of labour conditions and rights of food delivery riders, a flagship branch of the gig economy. It unravels the legal grey area in which companies offer their service, and questions the taxonomy of gig-workers – either freelancer or employee, or a third option? From the point of view of a gig-worker it touches upon personal doubts and fears in a precarious working environment. Diaristic photographs, juxta positioned with in-app screenshots and spoken word form a video that serves as the audience experience. The work aims at European policy makers as support to establish fair market conditions and appropriate labour rights for gig economy workers.
︎︎︎ see full video
Originally started as the sharing economy, proponents foresaw a transformation of the experience of work – flexibility, autonomy, and reasonable income for workers. Soon, this innovative concept converted into the exploitation of labourer, now it’s called gig economy. Present days society on-demand calls for individualized services as much as never before. Work opportunities and the accessibility of it increase rapidly through the digitalization of international service providers, assigning digital profiles of real-life workers to physical work.
This project focuses on the status quo of labour conditions and rights of food delivery riders, a flagship branch of the gig economy. It unravels the legal grey area in which companies offer their service, and questions the taxonomy of gig-workers – either freelancer or employee, or a third option? From the point of view of a gig-worker it touches upon personal doubts and fears in a precarious working environment. Diaristic photographs, juxta positioned with in-app screenshots and spoken word form a video that serves as the audience experience. The work aims at European policy makers as support to establish fair market conditions and appropriate labour rights for gig economy workers.
︎︎︎ see full video