[thejerz]

> The gig economy is quietly undermining a century of worker protections

An economy is an inanimate object; it can't #{active_verb} something. This may sound nitpicky, but: language carries meaning; language influences perception; and, in this case, language ascribes blame.

Insofar as Ameirica is concerned, the contractors working for gig apps, like Uber or Postmates, have chosen not to exercise their rights to worker protections. Even as contractors, giggers have a legal right to unionize, collectively bargain, and form a cartel to demand better compensation. These people have chosen not to.

That's not to say organizing is "easy" -- especially when you're living paycheck-to-paycheck -- it's not. But, to the degree that contractors are upset enough to act, organizing is feasible and achievable.[1] Self-organization is the free-market solution to a person feeling exploited or trampled upon by his boss. No government intervention is required.

Given that the right to exercise collective bargaining is a choice, and afaik the majority of giggers do not collectively bargain, the rational conclusion is that these gig contractors aren't upset enough about the terms of their gig to take action.

[1] https://drivers-united.org/

[toyg]

> the contractors working for gig apps, [...] have chosen not to exercise their rights

It's sad to see this sort of propaganda on HN.

Gig workers choose to take up a gig job in alternative to starvation, in most cases. There are big socioeconomic problems undermining the misguided notion that it might be a rational choice, in the overwhelming majority of cases.

This is why the State, in a modern society, is supposed to step in and forbid employers from taking advantage of workers.

These are lessons that were first learnt in the XIX and early XX century.

[smsm42]

> Gig workers choose to take up a gig job in alternative to starvation

Would like to see a source on the claim that Uber drivers' only alternative is starvation. Uber has been founded in 2009, I am old enough not to remember mass starvation anywhere in the US before that. I am also vaguely aware of something called welfare state in the US that collects massive taxes exactly to prevent people from starvation (among other things), and I don't remember - before 2009 - any claims that this system has failed so much that people are suffering starvation in the US on the massive scale, or were until Uber came along to rescue us.

Moreover, to work for Uber, you must have a car (and a driver's license). Not just any junker clunker car barely moving around - a relatively nice car that a passenger would be fine with sitting it. Usually people literally starving do not have those, I think. In most cases.

My personal experience with Uber drivers (and other gig workers, like TaskRabbit or Fiverr) also does not match the description that they were starving before they had this job. Of course, this is only a personal anecdote, so I would very much like to see your source to that claim. Though I suspect you do not have one.

[antidesitter]

A factually-correct statement isn’t “propaganda” just because you don’t like it.

[rhizome]

An economy is an inanimate object; it can't #{active_verb} something. This may sound nitpicky, but: language carries meaning; language influences perception; and, in this case, language ascribes blame.

Fine: the gig business model is undermining.

[Data_Junkie]

Blaming the victims.Call it what it is what it has all way been, people with advantages taking advantage of people and then blaming them for being them. Nothing new.