UN labour body approves first treaty for gig platform workers

The International Labour Organization has adopted the first-ever international agreement aimed at protecting digital platform workers, marking a major step in regulating labour conditions in the global gig economy.

The agreement, adopted during the 114th International Labour Conference in Geneva, is designed to extend labour protections to hundreds of millions of workers worldwide employed through digital platforms, including food delivery and ride-hailing services.

The convention applies to all platform workers regardless of employment status, addressing a long-standing gap in labour law as digital work has expanded rapidly across the world.

According to the World Bank, there were up to 435 million online gig workers globally in 2023, many of whom remain outside traditional labour protections such as minimum wage, workplace safety standards and access to social security.

Platforms face accountability

Digital labour platforms often rely on algorithms to assign tasks, determine pay, monitor performance and, in some cases, terminate workers. Despite exercising significant control over working conditions, many companies classify workers as independent contractors rather than employees.

Critics say this classification has allowed platforms to avoid obligations tied to standard employment protections.

Rights groups welcomed the move, describing it as a major milestone for workers’ rights in the digital age.

Human Rights Watch said the convention establishes the first global framework aimed at holding digital labour platforms accountable while setting minimum standards for worker protections.

The ILO, which has 187 member states and a tripartite structure representing governments, employers and workers, said the agreement reflects growing international recognition that labour rules must evolve alongside changing forms of work.

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