Out of the frying pan, into the fire? Meal couriers sweat amid heatwave
Utrecht, Netherlands/Palermo, Italy Reuters As Europe braces for another heatwave, one group of workers has little choice but to sweat it out: the couriers shuttling around town getting lunches and dinners to customers. “It’s hot, sometimes really hot. But what can we do? God is in charge of the weather,” says Gennaro Guarracino, 47, who […]
StrangeSights: Prince Louis’ starring role; one big plant; and, left behind – in an Uber…
DAVID ADAMS provides a round-up of some stories on the odder side of life…
US gig worker murders expose apps’ safety gaps, says labour group
Los Angeles, USThomson Reuters Foundation Two years after fleeing political persecution in Bangladesh, Salauddin Bablu was stabbed to death in Manhattan by a man who stole the electric bike he used to deliver food during long shifts for the Grubhub app. “When Salauddin died, his family lost everything,” Bablu’s brother-in-law, Muhammad Ahsan, said by phone […]
Asia’s gig workers strive to match global gains on labour rights
Bangkok, ThailandThomson Reuters Foundation Emboldened by the victories of delivery riders from New York to the Netherlands, gig workers in Asia are increasing pressure for better conditions from app-based businesses that have thrived during the pandemic. The platforms, like their counterparts in the United States or Europe, have taken advantage of lax labour protections to demand long […]
Workers’ rights under threat as online work surges five-fold – UN
Berlin, GermanyThomson Reuters Foundation Digital platforms have soared five-fold over the past decade, offering opportunities to some but also eroding workers’ rights, the International Labour Organization 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 […]
TRENDSPOTTER: THE “GIG ECONOMY”
DAVID ADAMS takes a quick look at the rise of the idea of the ‘gig’ economy…