Fairwork Philippines calls for reform on working conditions for Filipino platform workers
An action research firm in their recent report on gig workers in the Philippines finds a ‘critical gap’ in government regulation and platform policies that cause subpar working conditions in the country.
“Addressing the safety concerns and policy gaps in the platform-based ride-hailing and delivery sector in the Philippines that go beyond compliance is urgent and requires a collaborative effort from the government, platform companies, and worker representatives,” Fairwork Philippines said in their 2023 report on ‘Protecting Worker Health, Safety, and Security in the Philippine Platform Economy’.
The organization defined platform workers as independent contractors in digital labor platforms, such as ride-hailing and delivery sectors.
The results released by the organization were based on its five principles of fairness:
Fair pay
Fair conditions
Fair contracts
Fair management
Fair representation
Despite efforts from the government and the market to promote platform work as a viable livelihood opportunity, Fairwork Philippines said “most workers cannot meet the basic minimum wage while also facing dangerous working conditions, a lack of safety nets, and long-term financial insecurity.”
The organization pushes for reforms to improve the quality of work for digital platforms. According to their 2022 and 2023 reports, there were no improvements in the workers’ health, safety, and security.
Evaluated in the 2022 ratings were Angkas, Borzo, GrabCar, GrabFood/GrabExpress, Foodpanda, Joyride, Lalamove, TokTok, and Transportify. Meanwhile, Joyride Car and Maxim replaced Transportify in the 2023 data.
GrabCar, GrabFood/GrabExpress, Angkas, and Lalamove continue to be the only platforms that have received points from Fairwork Philippines for two consecutive years. – Almira Louise S. Martinez