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World's first gig economy treaty adopted at the ILO - RTL The first-ever international agreement on safeguarding digital platform workers in the gig economy was adopted on Friday at the UN's International Labour Organization. The Decent Work in the Platform Economy Convention 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 digital labour platforms" and "all digital platform workers... whether they are in the formal or informal economy", 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 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 …

The International Labour Organization’s (ILO) adoption of a new global treaty for decent working conditions in the gig economy is a major step toward protecting the rights of millions of workers worldwide www.hrw.org/news/2026/06...

Human Rights Watch Calls for Binding Global Standards to Protect Gig ... Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called for the implementation of binding standards to protect gig workers as part of an International Labour Organization (ILO) treaty. This recommendation comes after HRW unveiled findings from their extensive report on platform workers in nine countries, highlighting the precarious conditions faced by workers due to companies sidestepping labor protections and transferring risks to their workforce. The full report delves into the challenges of low pay, erratic working hours, and inadequate safety measures that platform workers regularly encounter. Furthermore, instances of violence, like those experienced by Graeme Franes in Scotland and Agnes Mwongera in Nairobi, emphasize the vulnerabilities and lack of protective mechanisms for these workers. The growth of the gig economy has been significant, with the ILO noting that platform work nearly doubled between 2016 and 2021. The World Bank estimates that up to 435 million people globally are engaged in platform work. An essential issue raised by rights groups is the classification of workers as independent contractors, limiting the…

ILO Adopts Landmark Treaty on Gig Work | Human Rights Watch Click to expand Image Delegates of the Standard-Setting Committee on Decent Work in the Platform Economy celebrate the Committee’s approval of the text of ILO Convention No. 193 on June 11, 2026, in Geneva. The Convention was adopted by the International Labour Conference plenary the following day. © Lena Simet/Human Rights Watch (Geneva) – The International Labour Organization’s (ILO) adoption of a new global treaty for decent working conditions in the gig economy is a major step toward protecting the rights of millions of workers worldwide, Human Rights Watch said today. At its 114th session in Geneva, on June 12, 2026, the International Labour Conference adopted the ILO Convention No. 193 concerning Decent Work in the Platform Economy , the first global treaty to set binding labor standards for gig work. The convention addresses long-standing gaps in protection for workers whose jobs are managed through digital labor platforms, including on pay, safety and health, social security, algorithmic management, and correct classification, a key issue for determining whether workers receive protections they are entitled to. Th…

ILO Adopts First Global Labor Standard for Platform Work Listen to “ILO Adopts First Global Labor Standard for Platform Work: What U.S. Companies Need to Know” 00:00 24:53 Quick Hits ILO Convention No. 193 is the first international labor standard specifically designed for platform and gig economy work. Under the Convention, core protections including minimum wage, social protection, and occupational safety and health (OSH) rights apply to all platform work, regardless of a platform worker’s formal employment classification (e.g., “independent contractor” or “employee”). Algorithmic management is addressed in a binding international instrument for the first time: platforms must disclose automated decision-making and provide human-review mechanisms. The Convention is not self-executing. Countries must now decide whether to ratify it and, if ratified, must implement it through their domestic law. The United States voted against adoption and is unlikely to ratify. However, U.S.-headquartered companies will still feel the Convention’s effect if they retain platform workers in countries where it has been ratified and implemented into domestic law. What Happened At its 114th session in …

World's first gig economy treaty adopted at ILO - The New Indian Express 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, workpl…

International Labour Organization Adopts First Global Tre... ByMSFJ TEAM The International Labour Organization (ILO) on June 12, 2026, adopted the first global treaty establishing binding labor standards for workers in the digital platform economy. The new convention aims to protect millions of gig workers worldwide by addressing issues like pay, safety, and social security. The International Labour Organization (ILO) on June 12, 2026, adopted its first global treaty aimed at establishing binding labor standards for workers in the digital platform economy. The convention, approved by the International Labour Conference plenary in Geneva, seeks to safeguard the rights of millions globally who earn income through gig work. Designated as ILO Convention No. 193, the new accord addresses critical gaps in protections for individuals whose employment is managed via digital platforms. Key areas covered include fair compensation, occupational safety and health, social security benefits, algorithmic oversight, and accurate worker classification. The measure passed with 406 votes in favor, 8 against, and 36 abstentions. The treaty directly confronts the common practice of companies class…

ILO: Adopt Binding Treaty to Protect 'Gig' Workers Click to expand Image Opening Ceremony of the 113th International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, June 2, 2025. © 2025 Violaine Martin / OIT (Geneva) – Governments and employers’ representatives at the International Labour Organization (ILO) conference should agree to a new treaty to protect “gig” workers, 33 civil society groups, trade unions, and human rights organizations said today. The groups released a joint declaration during the second day of the 113th session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva, which is meeting until June 12, 2025. The groups highlighted the urgent need to address critical gaps in labor protections in the rapidly expanding platform economy, where companies recruit workers to perform jobs or “gigs” offered through apps or websites. Platform workers frequently experience employment misclassification, low and fluctuating income, lack of social security, and barriers to unionizing, while being surveilled and managed by unaccountable and untransparent algorithmic systems. Adopting an ILO convention and an accompanying nonbinding recommendation that provides guidance on the convention’s …

Platform Economy Reforms: UN Passes Historic Gig Worker Treaty, But the ... For years, the person who dropped a hot biryani at your door or drove you home after midnight existed in a strange legal limbo. Not quite an employee. Not quite a free agent. On June 12, 2026, the United Nations’ labour body tried to fix that. Whether it actually will depends on something far less glamorous than a vote count: paperwork, politics, and time. At the 114th International Labour Conference in Geneva, member states of the International Labour Organization adopted Convention No. 193, formally titled Decent Work in the Platform Economy. The vote was lopsided: 406 in favour, 8 against, and 36 abstentions. This was not a snap decision. The text was hammered out over a two-year discussion spanning the 113th and 114th sessions of the ILC, the kind of slow-grinding multilateral process that rarely makes headlines until the very end. What makes this convention different from the patchwork of national rules that already exist is its scope. It is, by the ILO’s own framing, the first binding international agreement that sets employment standards specifically for digital platform workers, covering food d…