2 Gig Jobs Austerity and Migration Policy
Over the past decade, the gig economy has transformed traditional markets with flexible job opportunities and app-based services (Chen et al., 2019). Ride-hailing platforms like Uber and Bolt have revolutionized personal transportation, while AirBnB has changed hospitality, and Deliveroo has impacted food delivery, while other platforms like TaskRabbit and Upwork have reshaped other service sectors and the way work is organized and regulated (Lehdonvirta, 2018; Mulcahy, 2016; Schor, 2020; Wood et al, 2018). However, this rapid growth comes with challenges, particularly regarding fair compensation and privacy, as gig workers are paid per task, lacking income guarantees, sick pay, and other benefits typical of regular jobs (Cook et al., 2021; Elliott et al., 2022).
In this context, platforms pose challenges for workers and potential issues with discrimination and fairness, as well as other behavioural effects in labour supply (Crawford & Meng, 2011; Mejia & Parker, 2021). For example, an interviewed driver, who is rank-and-file activist in the Athens Taxi Drivers Association, argued that: “Since 2012, with the liberalization of the taxi industry under law 4093, things have changed dramatically. Many colleagues now face significant debts due to over-taxation and the economic crisis. Working 12 hours a day makes me feel like part of the working class. Then Uber entered the ride-hailing market, and it was a nightmare, as we watched private cars take our jobs”. And he continues: “We are moving towards market cartelization, and a substantial portion of our income will be automatically redirected to platforms”.
In Greece, knowledge about the gig economy’s scope, trends, and potential is limited. As Mexi (2019) notes, in contrast to the situation in other European countries, the gig economy and gig work are poorly understood in Greece, particularly about labour issues. Greek policymakers and regulators have primarily shown interest in the gig economy from the standpoint of tax avoidance by digital platforms and the consequent loss of public revenue. To some extent, this is related to the domination of AirBnB in the tourism industry, and to the contention between the Greek government and taxi drivers with Uber in 2018, as well as the relatively small size of the gig economy workforce compared to the general workforce (Mexi, 2019).
2 MIGRANT LABOUR IN THE GREEK GIG ECONOMY
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