Guo Shuzhen: The significance of the fair work framework for the zero worker economy

For the first time, Uber has entered Singapore for 10 years.During this time, the platform economy and zero labor teams grew rapidly.According to the Ministry of Human Ministry of Manpower, in 2022, there were 88,400 platform workers in Singapore, including 38,100 private car drivers, 25,400 De Shi drivers, and 25,500 courier (editor -in -chief: The number of people add up will be compared than that of people.There are many platform workers because one person can engage in multiple occupations).In this regard, the government has taken corresponding regulatory measures to strengthen the protection of employees.However, to ensure the benefits of platform employees, additional mechanisms and more comprehensive strategies, such as labor audit.

"Fairwork" was launched at the headquarters of the International Labor Organization (ILO) in 2017, which aims to promote the implementation of labor audit on zero -industrial platforms worldwide.It is led by the Institute of Internet Research Institute of Oxford University and Weizenbaum. The Institute of Social Research Institute of Berlin is involved in 45 institutions from 38 countries, including Singapore.Such a global network enables researchers for "fair work" to conduct independent audit on many platforms in various places, and gives a score of 0 to 10 based on the working conditions provided by the platform.For example, the recent report released by the Philippine "fair work" group evaluates the country's 10 platforms, covering regional platforms such as Grab and FoodPanda, as well as local platforms such as Angkas and Toktok.The United Kingdom, India, Bangladesh, Germany, and Paraguay also conducted similar "fair work" labor audit.

Singapore's "fair work" will cooperate with the National Employee Federation to conduct the first audit in 2024 to evaluate the private car and food courier platforms mainly used by Singaporeans.The scoring system is consistent with the decent work framework of ILO.There are five assessment principles in the framework: fair salary, fair working conditions, fair contracts, fair management and fair representatives.There are two types of scores under each principle: basic points and advanced points, which can only be obtained only when the basic score is reached.In summary, these scores will provide quantitative indicators for employees, platforms and governments to see if the platform really provides decent work in Singapore, or what shortcomings are.

• Fair compensation inspections After deducting work -related costs, employees have received income.
• How to protect employees in a fair work condition inspection platform to avoid risks that may encounter during work.
• Fair contracts determine the accessibility of the platform contract terms, and evaluate whether there are unreasonable responsibility exclusion clauses.
• Fair management measures whether there is a clear channel for employees to speak and appeal to their decisions.
• Fair representatives to evaluate the way of employee organizations, as well as whether the platform is willing to conduct collective negotiations and cooperation with employees.

"Fair work" research team determines these scores through various methods such as investigation, employee interviews and platform negotiations, and reveals the platform work of the platform that is often covered by algorithms and big data.

This audit provides verified data for employees, consumers, regulators, public and platform companies itself to evaluate labor conditions and compare the differences in different platforms.This measure provides cooperation opportunities for governments, labor and zero -worker platforms by evaluating the labor situation and increasing collective negotiation capabilities, and further enhances Singapore's three parties in labor and government and government.

In 2022, the generals set up a working group to strengthen the protection and representatives of platform employees.An important suggestion submitted by the working group is to formally form the representative mechanism of platform employees, especially those who were excluded from traditional trade unions under the employees who did not count as "employees" under the employment law.In July 2023, the government approved the formal representative plan of the platform employee, marking that Singapore took a milestone in the direction of promoting the fairness of zero work.

The scores and data of "fair work" help enhance the conversation and negotiations of all parties.Government and enterprises can use these scores to guide decisions.Members of union can understand the performance of the platform and use relevant data to guide collective negotiations.Regularly conducting such labor audits can also compare the annual performance of different platforms, and find out what improvements or deficiencies involved in employees.

In the future, no matter how zero workers, consumers, regulators, and platform companies, they can see how related platforms do in compliance or violation of the five principles.Does the performance of the platform improve year by year or regressoring?What are the platforms comparing the platforms of other countries?What are the specific aspects of the details of the 10 -point system?

"Fair work" audit will promote the labor status of the platform employees and promote employee benefits together.This will provide a good supplement to the efforts of government and trade unions.

In the rapid development zero economy, labor audit can make the complex relationship between employees and platforms transparent.The establishment of the five principles gives people a clear understanding of what fair work is, and also provides specific standards for achieving fair work.

The challenges in the digital work field are complicated.Labor audit has made Singapore's "fair work" a pioneer to overcome these challenges.The information provided by the audit can help maintain a harmonious labor relationship, and this is the cornerstone of the Singapore Workers' Games.

Qiu Linchuan is a professor of media technology lectures at the Shaw Foundation of Nanyang University of Science and Technology and the Shaw Foundation of the School of Information of Nanyang University of Technology