Category: gig economy

Drivers gig economy Ride Hailing Apps Tech Uber

To improve Uber’s driver app, he hits the road as an Uber driver

sudshr47 March 27, 2019

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Uber’s head of driver product is proud of his 96 rides (and no tickets … so far). 

Daniel Danker knows they’re nothing compared to the thousands of rides some drivers have under their belts. But every rider he drops off helps him understand the Uber service — and provides more insight than anything he’d get from a feedback survey or second-hand notes. 

So a few times a month, he opens the separate Uber driver app and cruises around San Francisco for a few hours, picking up passengers, earning tips, and making chitchat with riders in the backseat of his Mazda station wagon. (He lets them know he’s an Uber employee and not a regular driver.) Read more…

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Flipkart ranked highly for ‘fairness’ of working conditions in India gig platform study

sudshr47 March 26, 2019

The Oxford Internet Institute has published what it bills as the world’s first rating system for working conditions on gig economy platforms. The Fairwork academic research project is a collaboration with the International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore, the University of Cape Town, the University of Manchester, and the University of the Western Cape. As […]

View More Flipkart ranked highly for ‘fairness’ of working conditions in India gig platform study
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Thumbtack now offers benefits to independent contractors

sudshr47 February 19, 2019

The gig economy has been under much scrutiny as of late due to the way it pays — or, skirts around paying — its independent contractors. Thumbtack, a platform for finding professionals to do anything from home maintenance do DJing a party, is now offering benefits to some of its independent contractors. “In a time […]

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Instacart ends its shady tipping policy, thanks to internet backlash

sudshr47 February 7, 2019

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Internet outrage might feel tiresome sometimes, but it can also be a force for good. 

The grocery and food delivery company Instacart has changed the way it pays its gig-economy workers, according to BuzzFeed. Following the outrage and worker organizing that occurred after several reports detailed the company’s payment structure — in which it used tips, not company revenue, to cover base wages — Instacart CEO Apoorva Mehta told delivery workers in an email that the company would reverse its policy.

“Based on your feedback, today we’re launching new measures to more fairly and competitively compensate all our shoppers,” Mehta wrote. “Tips should always be separate from Instacart’s contribution to shopper compensation.” Read more…

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How Jyve secretly raised $35M & built a $400M retail gig economy

sudshr47 January 24, 2019

What if instead of just accepting Uber rides, gig workers could pick from higher paying skilled tasks around town like stocking shelves, checking inventory, or driving a forklift at a local grocer? When they work quickly and accurately or learn new trades, they get to choose between more complex jobs. That’s the idea that’s racked […]

View More How Jyve secretly raised $35M & built a $400M retail gig economy
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Uber loses another appeal against drivers’ rights in UK

sudshr47 December 19, 2018

Uber has lost another appeal against a landmark 2016 UK employment tribunal ruling that found a group of drivers to be workers, rather than self-employed, meaning they’re entitled to benefits such as holiday pay and the National Minimum Wage. The court of appeal today upheld previous decisions classifying the drivers as workers. Although the ruling […]

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Freelancers rights come of age as gig economy booms

sudshr47 October 31, 2018

Gig workers, freelancers, sharing economy workers — call them what you want to, but the millions who drive you around in Lyfts, drop off your Seamless delivery or work on piecemeal projects from home have become a staple of the American workforce — and their numbers are only set to grow. A report out today […]

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UK Uber drivers to stage 24 hour strike over pay and conditions

sudshr47 October 8, 2018

A UK union that represents the interests of Uber drivers has called a 24 hour strike for tomorrow. Ride-hailing giant Uber may not be comfortable thinking of the people who do the driving on its platform as workers but, in 2016, a UK employment tribunal ruled against its classification of a group of then current […]

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UberEats UK couriers striking over pay changes

sudshr47 September 24, 2018

Groups of UberEats couriers are continuing to strike over pay and calling for a minimum £5 per delivery fee. Several strikes have been reported in London over the past few days, as well as other UK cities including Glasgow, Cardiff and Plymouth. Late last week Uber revealed a new pay structure which shrinks the per […]

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Study flags poor quality working conditions for remote gig workers

sudshr47 August 8, 2018

An Oxford University study of remote gig economy work conducted on digital platforms has highlighted poor quality working conditions with implications for employees’ well-being. The research comes at a time when political scrutiny is increasingly falling on algorithmically controlled platforms and their societal impacts. Policymakers are also paying greater attention to the precarious reality for […]

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Deliveroo’s ‘flexible’ labor model likened to 20th century dockyards

sudshr47 July 24, 2018

A report into the pay and conditions for riders delivering food for gig economy platform Deliveroo has urged the company to commit to offering a form of worker status to those riders who form the backbone of its workforce, arguing that the current reality is a dual labour market — which works very well for […]

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Glovo gets $134M to beef up its on-demand delivery business

sudshr47 July 18, 2018

Spanish startup Glovo, whose platform lets app users summon a gig economy worker to shop on their behalf, be it for a takeaway burger or a multi-bag supermarket shop, has bagged a €115 million (~$134M) Series C round of funding. Spanish press are reporting the round values Glovo’s business at more than €300M. The lead investors […]

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