Fairwork Secretariat

Abstract

The Fairwork secretariat is a cooperation between the WZB Social Science Centre and the Oxford Internet Institute (University of Oxford) dedicated to the research and evaluation of working conditions on digital platforms.

Digital labour platforms provide important income opportunities for millions of people all over the world. Most platform workers, however, are either not protected by existing employment law or collective bodies. Consequently, platform workers often face low wages and precarity as well as poor and dangerous working conditions.

Against this backdrop, the Fairwork Project developed five principles for fair work in the platform economy: fair pay, fair conditions, fair contracts, fair management, fair representation. The Fairwork Principles were developed through a collaborative process that reflects the insights of our international network and the voices of workers around the world. They provide a benchmark of fair platform work, for platforms, workers, customers and policymakers. Using these principles, the Fairwork project evaluates working conditions on digital platforms in 26 countries across five continents, as well as in the global crowdwork sector, through its international network of researchers.

In addition to evaluating working conditions on digital platforms, the Fairwork Project is also actively working with workers, unions, platform companies, civil organisations, and policymakers to help shape a fairer future for work in the digital platform economy. This is why the Fairwork Project has launched the 'Fairwork Pledge'. A wide range of organisations from the fields of education, civil society, business, and public administration are working together with Fairwork, under the umbrella of the Fairwork Pledge, to promote fairer working conditions in the platform economy by, for example, committing to using Fairwork ratings as criteria when selecting digital platform services.

Further information about the Fairwork project