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Begin forwarded message: > From: Bill Totten <shimog...@ashisuto.co.jp> > Date: March 25, 2016 at 11:59:03 PM EDT > To: Ugly New World <uglynewwo...@lists.mcgill.ca>, a-list > <a-l...@lists.riseup.net> > Subject: [a-list] Is the "Gig Economy" Here to Stay? > Reply-To: shimog...@ashisuto.co.jp > > by Dean Baker > > CounterPunch (March 21 2016) > > The "gig economy" is one of the many trendy revolutions capturing the news > media's attention. But some simple realities apply to the gig economy, buried > in a great deal of hype. > > "Gig economy" work is the same sort of casual labor that has always existed. > It's a variation on the day-labor centers where workers go in the morning in > the hope of finding work for all or part of a day. The only difference is > that the gig economy operates over the Internet and involves workers in a > wider range of occupations, some relatively skilled. However, just as some > day-labor companies hope to profit by evading regulations and cheating > workers, many gig economy companies hope to legally skirt labor laws that > apply to other employers. > > The survival of gig economy companies depends on the overall state of the > economy. It is no accident that the gig economy exploded following the recent > steep recession. More than eight years after the onset of the recession, the > economy is still down more than three million jobs from trend levels. > > If we pursue policies designed to weaken the labor market, such as higher > interest rates from the Federal Reserve Board, we likely will continue to see > large numbers of workers desperate for employment from Uber, TaskRabbit and > other gig economy companies. In a bad economy, irregular work is better than > no work. > > The survival of the gig economy also depends on whether governments will > apply labor laws to gig economy companies. There is no reason Uber should be > exempt from minimum wage laws, overtime regulations and workers' compensation > coverage. If the company's claim is true - that compliance is too difficult > to figure out - then companies that are more adept with technology will > outcompete Uber. But if gig economy companies are exempt from rules that > apply to their competitors, gig companies will be allowed to thrive in a very > weak labor market. > > Of course, there is a place for the type of casual labor that fills gig > economy advocates' stories. There are people who would like to earn some > extra money in their spare time. If gig economy companies can provide more > opportunities for such work, that would be great. But there is no reason this > cannot be done in a way that complies with existing labor laws. > > _____ > > This column originally appeared in CQ Researcher: http://library.cqpress.com/ > > http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/03/21/80875/ > > https://billtotten.wordpress.com/ > http://www.ashisuto.co.jp
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