| > The gig economy is quietly undermining a century of worker protections An economy is an inanimate object; it can't #{active_verb} something. This may sound nitpicky, but: language carries meaning; language influences perception; and, in this case, language ascribes blame. Insofar as Ameirica is concerned, the contractors working for gig apps, like Uber or Postmates, have chosen not to exercise their rights to worker protections. Even as contractors, giggers have a legal right to unionize, collectively bargain, and form a cartel to demand better compensation. These people have chosen not to. That's not to say organizing is "easy" -- especially when you're living paycheck-to-paycheck -- it's not. But, to the degree that contractors are upset enough to act, organizing is feasible and achievable.[1] Self-organization is the free-market solution to a person feeling exploited or trampled upon by his boss. No government intervention is required. Given that the right to exercise collective bargaining is a choice, and afaik the majority of giggers do not collectively bargain, the rational conclusion is that these gig contractors aren't upset enough about the terms of their gig to take action. [1] https://drivers-united.org/ |
It's sad to see this sort of propaganda on HN.
Gig workers choose to take up a gig job in alternative to starvation, in most cases. There are big socioeconomic problems undermining the misguided notion that it might be a rational choice, in the overwhelming majority of cases.
This is why the State, in a modern society, is supposed to step in and forbid employers from taking advantage of workers.
These are lessons that were first learnt in the XIX and early XX century.