3 ms·

>these analogies don't map well to the gig worker's economic position. They do though. Gig workers are almost always in a very economically precarious position

by pydry 4y ago

>these analogies don't map well to the gig worker's economic position. They do though. Gig workers are almost always in a very economically precarious position which Uber takes advantage of in precisely the same way that employers of indentured servitude do. If the US had full employment and decent unemployment benefits (like it used to) jobs like these wouldnt exist.

ghufran_syed 4y ago
“ If the US had full employment and decent unemployment benefits (like it used to) jobs like these wouldn’t exist.” I think that’s the “utopia” gp is referring to. All this will do is force people to spend time and money forming corporations so that the uber corporation (for example) can contract directly with another corporation (most likely a one-employee s-corp) which will “employ” the driver. Same economic effect, but just with extra friction and cost for people who in general don’t have a lot of money to spare
- thfuran 4y ago
  >which will “employ” the driver. Same economic effect, but just with extra friction and cost for people who in general don’t have a lot of money to spare ...and all the rights that come with being an employee, for all that they're not so great in the US.
  - ghufran_syed 4y ago
    yes, but the “employee rights” will be between the driver and the driver’s own corporation - how does that help the driver if there isn’t enough money coming from the contracting company (eg Uber) to pay for those benefits?
actionablefiber 4y ago
> If the US had full employment and decent unemployment benefits (like it used to) jobs like these wouldnt exist. We don't, though, and that has much deeper causes than the existence of gig companies. A large swath of the American voting public supports political candidates who oppose providing an adequate backstop for people balancing on a knife edge. I think there's a legitimate market for people who want to earn cash in their spare time on their own schedule and gig companies seem like a good fit for those people, such as people who already have stable employment or cannot work regular hours for one reason or other. Very few industries/companies offer that level of flexibility to their workers. The issue is that gig companies are also gutting already-existing labor markets by burning investor cash to undercut established competitors, so people who have stable employment find themselves forced into precarity and turn to gig work due to the lack of full time employment in the industry combined with the lack of adequate support in the American social safety net.

by pydry 4y ago

ghufran_syed 4y ago

“ If the US had full employment and decent unemployment benefits (like it used to) jobs like these wouldn’t exist.” I think that’s the “utopia” gp is referring to. All this will do is force people to spend time and money forming corporations so that the uber corporation (for example) can contract directly with another corporation (most likely a one-employee s-corp) which will “employ” the driver. Same economic effect, but just with extra friction and cost for people who in general don’t have a lot of money to spare

thfuran 4y ago
>which will “employ” the driver. Same economic effect, but just with extra friction and cost for people who in general don’t have a lot of money to spare ...and all the rights that come with being an employee, for all that they're not so great in the US.
- ghufran_syed 4y ago
  yes, but the “employee rights” will be between the driver and the driver’s own corporation - how does that help the driver if there isn’t enough money coming from the contracting company (eg Uber) to pay for those benefits?

actionablefiber 4y ago

> If the US had full employment and decent unemployment benefits (like it used to) jobs like these wouldnt exist. We don't, though, and that has much deeper causes than the existence of gig companies. A large swath of the American voting public supports political candidates who oppose providing an adequate backstop for people balancing on a knife edge. I think there's a legitimate market for people who want to earn cash in their spare time on their own schedule and gig companies seem like a good fit for those people, such as people who already have stable employment or cannot work regular hours for one reason or other. Very few industries/companies offer that level of flexibility to their workers. The issue is that gig companies are also gutting already-existing labor markets by burning investor cash to undercut established competitors, so people who have stable employment find themselves forced into precarity and turn to gig work due to the lack of full time employment in the industry combined with the lack of adequate support in the American social safety net.