• Sanjay Gaba

The ways of working in the digital age are fast changing. The way technology has dominated every field, there have been many changes in the ways of working today. It is attributed to the new technology that today a new word has been coined ‘Gig Economy’. The term ‘Gig’ refers to offering one’s services for a limited period of time to a company and receiving a fixed amount for the same. In the digital era, mobile applications and many types of work are being done online due to which, the name ‘Gig Economy’ has also caught hold.

How is the work done in a ‘Gig Economy’

‘Gig Economy’ is being used in every field nowadays. In this type of work, some small or big tasks are assigned to a person. These works are completed as per the wishes of the institution. The working hours are also fixed in advance and a person who is a gig worker works within that time frame. A gig worker can have a full day job or a few hours of work, or he/she can work in combination just like a full day job.

The only special thing is that it is not permanent. It is done in the form of only some period of time. Many long projects are also undertaken in this mode of work, due to which, it is called temporary work, but still, it works like permanent work. There are also online mediums and mobile apps that act as mediums. There are many such companies like Uber, Instacart, Task Rabbit, Mechanical Turk, Freelancer, Gig India, Urban Clap etc.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 10.6 million independent contractors working in this field as of May 2017. It was also revealed in this survey that half of the people were completely dependent on gig working for earning. Women adopt this type of work for part time. The way technology is gaining momentum, this type of work can be done from any corner of the world at any time and hence, this work is quite trending these days.

‘Gig Economy’ in India

The ‘Gig Economy’ is growing rapidly in India. The ‘Gig Economy’ is providing exemplary options as a source of employment and income in India. This is mainly because of the increasing demand for in-person employment and technological advancements that allow people to find jobs and work independently which are several key factors for the growth of the Indian ‘Gig Economy’. The first factor is the increasing internet penetration, which has given people the opportunity to work using online platforms and apps. Another factor is the prevalence of smartphones, which provide useful tools for people to participate in the gig economy. The third factor is financial inclusion, which provides gig economy workers with the flexibility to receive payment and meet their financial needs.

Its activities are found in some of the key sectors of the Indian ‘Gig Economy’. Gig economy workers are active in areas such as online marketing, delivery services, content writing and editing, web design and development, organizational support, Aapki Sahayata, training and content creation.

There are still many challenges in the development of the Indian ‘Gig Economy’, such as legal protection, protection of workers’ rights, compliance with judicial orders and compliance with minimum standards.

Apart from this, there is no provision of social security from the government for Indian gig economy workers. These employees are recruited at any time and are removed from service at any time. There is no guarantee of employment. Or simply put, gig workers are completely temporary employees. Whenever the gig company needs these workers, it recruits them and at any given time, they are shown the way out of the job without any permission, just out of their own free will. Till now, these workers are neither being given the facility of provident fund nor ESI, medical etc. If seen objectively, the ‘Gig Economy’ is more in the interest of the owners and not in the interest of the employees. Governments in our country still need to provide social security etc. for these workers. (The author is vice-chairman of K.K.C. and AICC member)