Precariat in the era of new technologies: Does the platform economy lead to precariousness? An attempt to analysis

Abstract

The emergence of online platforms has significantly changed contemporary labor relations. Work within the platform economy has allowed, on the one hand, to enter the global labor market, or to carry out tasks within the international network structures, but on the other hand, it has contributed to the increase of job insecurity and can lead to precariousness. The main aim of this article is to answer the question whether new technologies can affect the precariousness of employees. The particular question is whether work via online platforms can contribute to precariousness and precarious work. Following the concept of the precarious work created by Gerry Rodgers (1989) – modified by Nicole Duell (2004) – based on existing research, it can be noted that for those platforms users for whom the main (and often the only) source of income is work within online platforms are (next to migrants and youth) to a large extent exposed to precariousness. Their work fulfills most of the features of the precarious work, due to: lack of work safety (guaranteed by the employment contract) and the lack of certainty over the continuity of employment, long and non-standard hours (often unpaid – unpaid labor), low income, lack of social protection (including, for example, labor rights) and protection from trade unions, and above all, unregulated employee status.