THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary- November 4, 2016- Topic 2
An employment tribunal ruling in London last week that Uber drivers are
“workers” and not
“self-employed”, and therefore entitled to a minimum wage and paid leave, could
have implications not only for Britain’s 40,000 Uber drivers but for others
associated with the ‘gig economy’ in Britain and beyond. Uber’s business
model is
predicated on calling itself a platform that connects those who want
transportation services to those who provide them. The ruling held that Uber
sells rides, not software, despite its legal and corporate structure and
licensing agreements attempting to suggest otherwise. The gig economy is driven
by algorithms and technology. It extends beyond ride-sharing applications to
food delivery, car rental and hosting services. Earning money as an independent
contractor — that is, through a gig — is not new. But the changing nature and
growth of such business models and their inextricable linkages to technology,
often via a smartphone app, is making it hard for regulators to keep up. From
the consumer’s perspective, app-based transportation services have been beneficial:
increased clarity on pricing, speedy redress of complaints, decreased waiting
times via efficient driver-passenger match algorithms, and so on. The business
model has brought more drivers into the workforce by offering flexible hours
and gigs to anyone who meets certain criteria. From the service provider’s
perspective, the ability to work flexible hours can be a way to earn
supplementary income. The British ruling, where the complainants were Uber
drivers, focusses on the producer. It has ruled that clever use of legal and
technological instruments cannot circumvent basic work-related rights. Thus it
has begun the overdue process of determining the producer’s obligations.
In India, with its vast unorganised labour force and patchy
social protection, piecemeal work, such as that offered through apps in the
for-hire transport market, holds the possibility of earning a livelihood that
is above the minimum wage. The issues in India, for now, are likely to be
different from those in the U.K., such as ensuring that algorithms do not
incentivise drivers to work beyond the permitted maximum number of hours. There
are, however, broader themes shared across borders and the range of offerings
in the gig economy — including the need for companies to be transparent about
their policies and practices so that regulation can be crafted in the first
place. Such regulation should be streamlined, responsive to changing ground
realities, and easily understandable by users. Any successful way forward will
nurture innovation while protecting the rights of all stakeholders.
Vocabulary
Entitled: give (someone) a legal right or a just claim to receive or do
something.
Example: Employees are
normally entitled to severance pay
Synonyms: qualify, make eligible, authorize, allow, permit, enable
Gig: a light two-wheeled carriage pulled by one horse.
Example: During the war
we had a gig with a cart horse and used to bowl along around the north-west end
of town - great transport when petrol was rationed.
Perspective: a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a
point of view.
Example: Most guidebook
history is written from the editor's perspective
Synonyms: outlook, view, viewpoint, point of
view, POV, standpoint, position
Circumvent: find a way around (an obstacle).
Example: However, those
inventive motorcyclists have managed to circumvent the obstacle.
Overdue: not having arrived, happened, or been done by the expected
time.
Example: The rent was
nearly three months overdue
Synonyms: late, behind schedule, behind
time, delayed, unpunctual; unpaid
Transparent: (of a material or article) allowing light to pass through so
that objects behind can be distinctly seen.
Example: Transparent blue
water
Synonyms: clear, crystal clear, translucent, pellucid, limpid, glassy