GENEVA: The first-ever international agreement on safeguarding digital platform workers in the gig economy was adopted on Friday at the UN's International Labour Organisation.
The agreement is aimed at extending labour protections to hundreds of millions of people worldwide who work through digital platforms, in areas like food delivery and car services.
The convention applies to all platform workers, regardless of their employment status, according to the text adopted by ILO members.
Until now, labour practices have struggled to keep pace with the dramatic shifts in the way people work.
The World Bank estimated in 2023 that there were up to 435 million online gig workers around the globe who had largely fallen outside regular labour protections.
Companies behind the apps control the gig work via algorithms that assign tasks, set pay, evaluate performance and even fire workers.
Despite largely controlling the tasks and pay, the platforms typically classify the workers as independent contractors rather than employees.
This allows them in many cases to ignore things like minimum wage requirements, workplace safety and access to social security.
The convention marks "a turning point for platform workers worldwide," said Human Rights Watch's senior economic justice adviser Lena Simet, who followed the negotiations.
It would establish "the first global standard to protect their rights and hold digital labour platforms accountable", she said.
The convention was adopted at the 114th annual International Labour Conference in Geneva.
Conference president Juan Castillo said, "Delegates, can I then consider that the conference adopts the convention in its entirety? Adopted," bringing down the gavel.
The ILO is unique in the United Nations system in that its 187 member states are equally represented by governments, employers and workers.
