#Workers-Compensation-Amazon-Contractors

[larkiethings]

Here's the thing: amazon is that level of cheap and accessible BECAUSE they have what is essentially a monopoly and abuse their workers. You don't get that level of affordability without taking the money from somewhere, and that somewhere is people's wages and their very lives.

Amazon places insanely high expectations on their drivers (and the companies they contract with for last mile delivery) which encourages unsafe driving practices. They deny breaks to warehouse workers because it's cheaper to work 3 people overtime than it is to hire 6. And they do this BECAUSE people don't have another option! If you don't deliver for amazon, you're cutting yourself off from a HUGE market with no other option for getting that money. If you're desperate for work, amazon pays better than walmart and it sucks but what are you gonna do? This is why they can get away with this

And yeah theoretically if we took money away from the executives the company could keep some costs down, but really, the reason it's affordable and convenient is because of the way amazon treats its workers (and contractors, and USPS...)

It won't be as convenient and affordable if it's forced to deal with real competition. If its workers are compensated fairly and allowed to work safely, it becomes a lot harder to get that kind of service. 2 day delivery is truly a ridiculous expectation to set. And that's going to hurt poor and disabled people a lot harder than the executives. I'm not saying this to defend amazon, because I have hated it for a long time, I'm just pointing out that convenience comes at a price.

I don’t want to end Amazon, because it provides an incredibly useful service to the disabled community, the elderly, and those who simply don’t have time to go shopping due to working three jobs and the like. There currently isn’t a major alternative on the market that is the same level of cheap and accessible.

What I do want to do is enforce some goddamn antitrust laws on major web-based companies like Amazon and Google and Facebook, and roll back their attempts at monopolizing entire industries, and make them pay their lowest-rung workers a fair wage and stop running their warehouses like a scene from a dystopian nightmare.

[birminghamlawattorney]

Delivery Accident Injury Lawyers To Guide You Through The Process

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[cattarattat]

"Friends,

It’s tempting to view the strike underway by Hollywood writers and actors against the studios as a war between wealthy Hollywood elites.

But that’s not at all the case. In fact, what’s happening now in Hollywood is a microcosm of what’s happening across America in the emerging digital economy — which is rapidly replacing the production of things with the production of digitized ideas.

The workers in this emerging economy are some of the worst paid and worst treated anywhere, while the top owners and managers are among the fattest cats outside Wall Street.

The biggest fights between capital and labor in the 21st century may look different from the struggles of the 20th century — which centered on whether, for example, full-time workers got better hourly pay and benefits, time-and-a-half for overtime, and reasonable working conditions — but they are in many ways the same, if not worse.

They don’t involve physical property. They are over digitized creative output. More specifically, how much of the value of what’s created goes to those who do the creating versus to those who manage those creations?

The entertainment corporations say they’re suffering because people are going to the movies less and cutting their TV cables to watch streaming videos.

But follow the money: Your entertainment dollars are actually going to the biggest corporations in America. These giants have gained huge bargaining power because they own the ways content is distributed and are mining consumer data to give them even more power and higher profits.

Consider: Stock gains this year have been concentrated among five giant digital firms: Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, and Meta. Their combined market capitalization is now over $8 trillion, a figure that exceeds the GDP of every country but the United States and China. They are cash rich. All but Amazon have a combined $200 billion net cash-to-debt balance.

As these giant corporations take over streaming video, video games, and media platforms, their top executives, largest contractors, and biggest investors are raking it in.

Netflix’s Reed Hastings got a 2022 compensation package worth $51.1 million, up 25 percent from the year before. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO got $39 million. Comcast’s CEO, $32 million. Paramount’s CEO, $32 million. Disney’s CEO, $24 million.

Amazon’s Bezos and Meta’s Zuckerberg are raking in more than all these executives combined.

Meanwhile, the people who create the content are getting shafted. They have less and less bargaining power.

I’m talking about writers, designers, artists, musicians, software designers and developers, photographers, graphics specialists, coders, sound engineers, animators, singers, songwriters, architects, showrunners, journalists, and everyone who stores or delivers these creations.

And it’s just beginning. Artificial intelligence — right now, mostly via Google, Meta, and OpenAI — is busy scraping up every morsel of digital content on the internet. If you’re not Big Tech, your intellectual property is disappearing.

Over the last decade, the pay of TV writers has fallen by 23 percent. The typical actor has also been on a downward escalator (last year, averaging $26,276). So have the pay, benefits, and job security of most other content creators.

In other words, what’s happening in Hollywood is also happening in a huge and growing portion of the U.S. economy.

This gap between the declining rewards going to digital creators and the soaring rewards going to the executives of the giant corporations that manage digital creations has become a chasm, and it’s becoming ever larger.

The biggest variable in all this is the law — in particular, what limits it places on digital monopolies, and whether it facilitates or limits the power of creators.

In both these respects, the Biden administration has been terrific. It has been more aggressive against monopolists and in favor of unions than any administration since that of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

But much of the law is still in the 20th century, and the federal courts have tended to be on the side of the corporate giants.

Just look at the union busting Amazon has been able to get away with. Or how easily Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI have been lifting copyrighted material from the internet.

Meanwhile, the courts are reluctant to use antitrust to inhibit the giants. Last week a federal judge rejected the FTC’s attempt to stop Microsoft’s $70 billion acquisition of the video game maker Activision Blizzard, saying the agency failed to prove the deal would reduce competition and harm consumers. This followed the FTC’s loss in February, when a judge rejected its attempt to block Meta from buying the virtual reality startup Within.

As Hollywood’s content creators go on strike, and as the FTC goes after Microsoft and Meta, bear in mind this huge and growing imbalance of power. If unchecked, it will soon comprise much of the American economy.

What are your thoughts?" Robert Reich

[legalupanishad]

Rajasthan Passes Bill For Social Security To "Gig Workers"

This article on 'Rajasthan Passes Bill For Social Security To Gig Workers' was written by Priyanka Jaipuria an intern at Legal Upanishad.

INTRODUCTION

After the USA, China, Brazil, and Japan, India has emerged as the fifth-largest marketplace for gig workforces worldwide. In an open marketplace model known as the “Gig Economy”, consumers or companies temporarily hire independent contractors. Contractual employees who are recruited and fired on a temporary basis might find work through the gig economy. The gig worker, as stated by Uber, Swiggy, Zomato, and others, does not have set working hours or a fixed place of employment; as a result, they are not covered by prevailing labour legislation. To avoid obligations like the minimum salary, the Provident Fund, and other benefits, they refer to their personnel as “delivery partners” instead of “employees”. The Bill is a welcome relief for Rajasthan’s gig workforce in this situation. It will make sure that the gig workforce has exposure to entitlements in accordance with the state government’s implied schemes. This article has examined the important aspects of the Rajasthan Government’s social security law for gig workers as well as the present necessity for it. The gig sector holds enormous potential for the development of the economy, but this is only possible if workers are given sufficient legal protections and liberties. Realizing this, the administration of Rajasthan passed the “Rajasthan Platform-Based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare) Act, 2023” as the country’s first state legislation relating to the gig workforce.

RATIONALE BEHIND THE INTRODUCTION OF THE BILL

The law came about after social activist Nikhil Dey suggested it to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during the latter’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in Rajasthan in December 2022. Subsequently, Rahul asked Gehlot to come up with social security and a support system for gig workers. During the February Budgeting Session, CM Ashok Gehlot presented the Bill and stated that “Currently, companies like Ola, Uber, Swiggy, Zomato, Amazon, etc. have engaged young workers on contract on a per-transaction basis. Such workers are called gig workers. Like elsewhere in the world, the scope of the gig economy is continuously growing in the state. Today, the number of gig workers in the state has increased to 3-4 lakh. These big companies do not make any arrangements for social security for these gig workers”. The Rajasthan government just enacted a substantial Bill on July 24 with the intention of expanding social security coverage to gig workers. According to the state government’s rationale for the legislation, “In spite of their major contribution to the economy and employment, gig workers form a part of unorganized workers and are still not covered under the labour laws. They do not receive the same level of protection as traditional employees get”.

WHO ARE GIG WORKERS?

A gig worker is a member of the labour force who receives compensation from sources other than the typical employer-employee relationship and who is employed by one or more platforms or aggregators, which include Swiggy, Zomato, Uber, Urban Company, etc., under the terms of a contract that specifies a certain rate of remuneration. They offer a range of services, including graphic design, website development, domestic services, e-commerce, and food delivery.

MAIN FEATURES OF THE BILL

Inclusion of Workers Categorized as Partners: The purpose of the legislation is to rectify the absence of protections and advantages for gig labourers, who were formerly considered “partners” instead of employees at organizations such as Ola, Swiggy, Zomato, etc. Fund for Social Security and Welfare: The state administration would create “The Rajasthan Platform-Based Gig Workers Social Security and Welfare Fund” in accordance with the bill’s terms for the betterment of the certified gig workforce. The money collected from the welfare cess imposed on an aggregator or employer will be deposited into the fund. Welfare Board for Gig Workforce: The interests and security of gig labourers in the state will be under the control of this board. The board would convene at least once every six months, with the Labour Minister serving as chairperson. Provision for Registration: Each gig labourer who is hired by aggregators (online middlemen that connect customers and service providers) or primary employers (who hire gig labourers directly) functioning in the territory of Rajasthan is required under the Bill to register before the Board. The Act mandates that every aggregator and employer enroll with the Board within 60 days of the Act’s effective date. Maintenance of an Extensive Database: The Rajasthan administration will keep an extensive record of every gig worker there. Every gig worker will receive a special ID that will make it easier to track their working history and benefits. Accessibility to Social Security Initiatives: The gig sector will have recourse to a variety of social security initiatives that include health care, accident protection, and other assistance programs to help out in times of need. Mechanism for Redressing Grievances: The Act guarantees that gig workers possess the right to be heard and that their complaints will be addressed. This clause aims to safeguard gig worker’s rights and give them a forum for resolving workplace-related conflicts. Penalties for Failure to Comply: The law contains provisions for fines in the event that aggregators fail to comply. Aggregators who do not pay the welfare fees by the deadline will be assessed interest at a rate of 12% per year. The state administration has the authority to punish aggregators up to Rs. 5 lakh for a first offense and up to Rs. 50 lakh for consecutive infractions of the Act.

SUGGESTIONS

The framing of a specific bill by the Rajasthan government dealing with gig workforces is a remarkable approach, and it becomes the duty of the state government to ensure proper implementation of the provisions and strict adherence to the guidelines of the legislation. For this purpose, proper maintenance of data relating to registration, funds, and other related matters is required. Not only the Rajasthan government but also the Central Government must make efforts to equalize the rights of this crucial sector so it may evolve further without leaning on exploitation.

CONCLUSION

People’s perspectives on employment have shifted as a result of the rapid growth of the gig market. The range of gig success in a place like India is broad and multilayered. It is encouraging to see that the government of Rajasthan has thought about putting light-touch regulations in place to strike a balance between business requirements and the expanding gig economy. Gig worker’s share of the workforce has increased significantly as a consequence of their benefits, which include the capacity to choose their own work schedule, shifts, breaks, and days of work. However, there is no specific statute or legal precedent addressing gig workforces under India’s labour laws. Employers have exploited this discrepancy all across the world. A sign of optimism for the acknowledgement of gig workers and their fundamental rights is Rajasthan’s recently enacted bill. Achieving social security for the gig economy will be made easier with the support of this recognition, which will also help aggregators better understand their obligations. The groundbreaking law, which is thought to open a fresh chapter in the history of worker rights, is truly urgently needed. 

REFERENCES                

Haini Tayal, “Regulating the Gig Economy in India: How Secure are Gig Workers”  28 Supremo Amicus (2022). “Rajasthan Platform-Based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare) Bill, 2023”, Drishti IAS, 26 July 2023, available at: https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rajasthan-platform-based-gig-workers-registration-and-welfare-bill-2023 (Last visited on July 28, 2023). Anuradha Gandhi and Isha Sharma, “Rajasthan Passes Bill for Welfare of Gig Workers- India”, Lexology, 25 July 2023, available at: https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=813d6c46-a0ee-44ff-8381-3373640be518 (Last visited on July 28, 2023). Hamza Khan, “Rajasthan Tables Bill to Guarantee Social Security to Gig Workers”, The Indian Express, 22 July 2023, available at: https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/jaipur/rajasthan-tables-bill-guarantee-social-security-gig-workers-8853922/ (Last visited on July 28, 2023). Read the full article

[edwincannan]

Workers Comp for Amazon DSP’s protects your employees in case they get injured and protects your company from lawsuits. Capstone Coverage can connect you with A-rated insurance carriers who comply with Amazon work comp insurance requirements.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

The people's disruption

“Innovation” is in very bad odor these days. “Disruption” is even more disreputable. But as tech and the global south researcher Rida Qadri writes in Wired, “innovation” isn’t limited to inventing unregulated banks and calling them “fintech” and “disruption” is more than just misclassifying employees as contractors.

https://www.wired.com/story/disruption-mobility-platforms-politics/

Qadri studies workers who are seizing the means of computation, reverse-engineering and repurposing the apps that are meant to keep them in bondage and figuring out how to set themselves free. Her research on gig drivers in Jakarta is essential reading:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/07/08/tuyul-apps/#gojek

Indonesian drivers have banded together to build clubhouses that serve as break-rooms, union halls, tech workshops and scooter maintenance depots. These centers are the birthplace of “tuyul” apps, which allow workers to resist algorithmic “optimization” and adapt their working conditions to improve their pay and safety.

In her Wired piece, Qadri gives examples of other “tech workers” — that is, low-waged, casualized workers who are dispatched and managed by apps — who use technology to take back control, from “farmers who strike against a smart city plan” to riders who band together to get back their stolen scooters.

This is mutual aid, with code. It is every bit as innovative and disruptive as Uber or Amazon, but because it is done by workers, rather than to workers, it is not recognized as such. Indeed, when workers modify the apps that script their movements, they’re called “criminals,” not “innovators.”

Take Doordash’s smear campaign against Para, an app that let delivery drivers find out how much a job paid before they took it (Doordash hides compensation from drivers in hopes of tricking them into taking unprofitable runs):

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/08/tech-rights-are-workers-rights-doordash-edition

Doordash called Para a criminal app, baselessly accused it of identity theft, and insisted that drivers had no right to know how much they were going to get paid before they committed to a job.

But as Para shows, seizing the means of computation is an important strategy for workers seeking a better life. The tactics of Adversarial Interoperability (AKA Competitive Compatibility or Comcom) can transfer power from Goliaths to Davids:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/10/adversarial-interoperability

But the soi-disant disruptors of the business world will not tolerate being disrupted themselves. Uber is content to skirt labor, safety and transportation policy, but would scream bloody murder if drivers and riders hacked the app to make it obsolete:

https://locusmag.com/2019/01/cory-doctorow-disruption-for-thee-but-not-for-me/

Image: Hugh D’Andrade/EFF (modified) https://www.eff.org/about/staff/hugh-dandrade

Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg

CC BY 3.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Brazil threatens to sue Volkswagen over claims of ‘slavery’ during military dictatorship

Prosecutors seek compensation for workers on a cattle ranch owned by the German carmaker between 1973 and 1987

Brazil is threatening to take the German carmaker Volkswagen to court over allegations that it used slave labour on a vast ranch in the Amazon, after talks on compensating workers ended without agreement.

Public prosecutors in Brazil are seeking compensation for men who they say were forced to work in “humiliating and degrading” conditions, with no clean water or sanitation, on the Fazenda Vale do Rio Cristalino cattle ranch, which was owned by the company in the northern Pará state, between 1973 and 1987.

Volkswagen denies all allegations of abuse.

The men were hired by local contractors to chop down the rainforest and clear land for the cattle ranch. When they arrived, they were forced to buy their own tools, food and housing materials, which left them in debt bondage, say prosecutors, who have shared a dossier of evidence with the company.

“Grave violations of human rights took place on a farm owned by one of the largest companies in the world and reparations should be paid on a large scale,” Rafael Garcia, the public prosecutor for the Brazilian labour ministry, told the Guardian.

Continue reading.

[robertreich]

Worker Power

Imagine a world where workers have real power. In this world, workers are paid a living wage, are protected by a strong union, and wield enough political clout to ensure Congress passes pro-worker laws. Corporations can’t treat them like robots and abandon communities to find cheaper labor elsewhere. It is a world of low inequality, where workers have a bigger share of the fruits of their labor.

This world is America in the 1950s.

This world was far from perfect. Black people and women were still second-class citizens. Windows of opportunity were still small or shuttered. That’s why it’s not enough to just go back in time. We must build upon it and expand it. For the past 40 years, this world has been dismantled. The voice of workers has been steadily drowned out in both the workplace and on the national political stage by the voice of big corporations. 

This massive power shift wasn’t the result of “free market forces” but of political choices. Now, it’s time to make the political choice to strengthen the voice of all workers.

Start with one of the biggest sources of worker power: unions. Every worker in America has a legal right to join a union free from interference from their employer -- a hard-fought victory that workers shed blood to secure. But corporate America has been busting unions to prevent workers from organizing.

In Bessemer, Alabama, for instance, Amazon used every trick in the anti-union playbook to prevent its predominantly Black workforce from forming the first Amazon union.

Most union-busting tactics are illegal, but the punishment is so laughably small that it’s simply the cost of doing business for a multi-billion dollar company like Amazon.

In addition, 28 states now have so-called “right-to-work” laws on the books, thanks to decades of big business lobbying. These laws ban unions from requiring dues from non-union workers, although non-union workers still benefit from these union contracts. This obviously makes it much harder for workers to unionize.

Corporations are also misclassifying employees as independent contractors and part-time workers, so workers don’t qualify for unemployment insurance, worker’s compensation, or the minimum wage, and don’t have the right to form a union. 

And corporations are waging political fights to keep employees off the books: Uber, Lyft, and other gig companies shelled out $200 million to get Proposition 22 passed in California, exempting them from a state labor law cracking down on misclassification.

It’s a vicious cycle: corporations crush their workers to protect corporate bottom lines, then use their enlarged profits to lobby for policies that allow them to keep crushing their workers -- preventing workers from having a voice in the workplace and in our democracy.

This vicious cycle began in the 1980s, when corporate raiders ushered in the era of “shareholder capitalism” that prioritized shareholders above the interests of other stakeholders. 

They bought up enough shares of stock to gain control of the corporation, and then cut costs by slashing payrolls, busting unions, and abandoning their home communities for cheaper locales -- all to maximize share values. The CEO of General Electric at the time, Jack Welch, helped pioneer these moves: in just his first four years as CEO, a full quarter of GE’s workforce was fired. The Reagan administration helped block legislation to rein in these hostile takeovers, and refused to lift a finger to enforce antitrust laws that could have prevented some of them.

I wish I could report that the Clinton and Obama administrations reformed labor laws to make it harder for corporations to bust unions. But either because Bill Clinton and Barack Obama lacked the political clout to get this done or didn’t want to expend the political capital, the fact is neither president led the way. 

The result of these political choices? Corporate profits have soared and wages have stagnated.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. We can turn the tide by making new political choices that restore the voice and centrality of American workers.

The most important is now in front of us: It’s called the Protecting the Right to Organize Act. 

Passed in the House in March with bipartisan support, the PRO Act is the toughest labor law reform in a generation. 

It prevents misclassification of full-time workers, bans corporations from harassing or intimidating workers who want to form a union, prohibits employers from replacing striking workers with non-union workers, and beefs up penalties for breaking existing labor laws, among other provisions empowering workers.

Beyond the PRO Act, American businesses need to be restructured so workers have a say at every level. At the top, that means a voice on corporate boards. In many European countries, worker representation has been shown to boost wages, skills, and corporate investment in communities. 

At the local level, we should make it easier to establish worker-owned cooperatives, which have been shown to increase profits, wages, and worker satisfaction.

And our trade and foreign policy can center on American workers without falling into the kind of xenophobia and nativism Donald Trump promoted.

Reversing 40 years of shareholder capitalism won’t be easy. But remember this: you, the working people of America, outnumber the corporate executives and big investors by a wide margin. Together, you can change the rules, and build a world where workers have real power.

[allthecanadianpolitics]

A union representing Ontario couriers delivering packages for Amazon.com Inc., are alleging the e-commerce giant engaged in unfair labour practices that resulted in the termination of employees, the closure of one courier company's Mississauga operations and the bankruptcy of another.

In a series of applications filed with the Ontario Labour Relations Board in July, initially reported on by The Logic, the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Canada Local 175 accused Amazon subsidiary Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services Inc., of using its control over sub-contractors to create a "chilling effect" meant to influence them to not "support, assist or co-operate with" the organization of a union.

The union is seeking a declaration that Amazon violated the Employment Standards Act and is demanding it reinstate and compensate laid-off courier drivers from two subcontracted companies for lost wages.

Amazon, which has expanded its network of warehouses across Canada in recent years, said in documents it filed that it "categorically denies" the allegations and that the claims have "no basis in fact."

[...]

Documents say All Canadian Final Mile's employees began a union drive in November 2017 and shortly after Amazon reduced the company's five shifts per day to three, its 12-hour shifts to 10-hour shifts and its number of routes from 25 to about 12.

From December 2017 to February 2017, the documents allege couriers were receiving emails from All Canadian Final Mile saying the company had "fewer routes than usual" and a "really low" volume of work.

The documents also explain the reductions were initially blamed on the Christmas rush being over and the start of the year's slow period, but by June, couriers got an email announcing the immediate closure of the company's Mississauga operation due to "unstable and declining volumes." The workers were allegedly placed on permanent layoff.

DEC's union drive began in June 2017 and resulted in the company's owners allegedly warning employees that if they did things Amazon did not like, Amazon would take work away from DEC.

Continue Reading.

[skypalacearchitect]

Uber and Lyft really, really don’t want their drivers to be company employees.

Both ride-hailing companies have launched an aggressive public campaign to escape California’s crackdown on the gig economy.

In the past two weeks, they’ve published an op-ed in the San Fransisco Chronicle and are now enlisting drivers and lobbyists to help weaken AB 5, a bill that would make it harder for companies to label workers as independent contractors instead of employees — a common practice that has allowed businesses to skirt state and federal labor laws. The bill passed the state Assembly last month with overwhelming support and is now headed to the California Senate for a vote at the end of the summer.

AB 5 is one of the biggest challenges yet to the ride-hailing companies’ business models and would rewrite the rules of the entire gig economy. Hundreds of thousands of independent contractors in California, ranging from Uber and Amazon drivers to manicurists and exotic dancers, would likely become employees under the bill.

That small status change is huge. These workers would suddenly get labor protections and benefits that all employees get, such as unemployment insurance, health care subsidies, paid parental leave, overtime pay, workers’ compensation, and a guaranteed $12 minimum hourly wage. It also means companies are fuming about the added cost — Uber and Lyft especially.

https://www.vox.com/2019/6/18/18682002/uber-lyft-drivers-california-ab5-bill

[onpoli]

A union representing Ontario couriers delivering packages for Amazon.com Inc., are alleging the e-commerce giant engaged in unfair labour practices that resulted in the termination of employees, the closure of one courier company's Mississauga operations and the bankruptcy of another.

In a series of applications filed with the Ontario Labour Relations Board in July, initially reported on by The Logic, the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Canada Local 175 accused Amazon subsidiary Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services Inc., of using its control over sub-contractors to create a "chilling effect" meant to influence them to not "support, assist or co-operate with" the organization of a union.

The union is seeking a declaration that Amazon violated the Employment Standards Act and is demanding it reinstate and compensate laid-off courier drivers from two subcontracted companies for lost wages.

[thessalian]

Thess vs The Death of Society

Another day, another video game company getting outed for abusing its employees - and this time, the people speaking out are giving their names. That’s not normal practice, mostly because the people getting the short end of the stick in that regard are pressured to stay silent as hard as they’re pressured to work killingly hard (i.e. their job hangs in the balance), but this time ... well, this time there are names.

Today the culprit under discussion is NetherRealms, a subsidiary of Warner Brothers Entertainment. Article from PC Gamer is here, but I’ll give the highlights. The 80-100 hour work weeks were actually listed in the schedule documents - this was actually planned for. The wages were not commensurate to the skill level and industriousness required for these roles ($11-12 per hour) to the point where contractors needed overtime just to survive. In the case of NetherRealm, rampant sexism is also on display, from wage gap to treatment in the workplace.

So ... that’s Riot, Epic, Telltale, BioWare, Rockstar... I think it’s safe to say that there are no AAA companies that aren’t forcing their workers to adhere to unsafe work hours with no compensation but “pride and achievement”, “showing passion and commitment” ... and keeping their low-paying jobs. And half the comments are, “They brought it on themselves! They shouldn’t be working in video games if they can’t take it!”

To me, this is all underlining a problem that video game companies take merciless advantage of: undervaluing artists. Just looking at the fandom communities, you see that - people having to undervalue their skills and products just to make a little bit of money, with people expecting them to work for little or no pay, because the public at large doesn’t seem to see art as work because ... I dunno, it’s creating something ‘fun’, and ‘art is a hobby’, or something. Anything that’s tied to a hobby seems to get devalued more than anything else. No one considers the fact that, with a very few exceptions, the people who wrote their favourite books are not obscenely wealthy; they are ‘getting by’ at best. Most of that money’s going to publishers, distributors, agents, etc etc etc. Movies and TV? Few if any people pay attention to the people who aren’t on the screen, and even then people conflate actors with their characters so often that half the time they don’t even acknowledge that acting is work - physically and emotionally draining work. And video games? Video games get the worst of it, largely because people don’t understand that people who code don’t just tap a few keys on a keyboard and let the computer do all the work for them. So when stories like this come out, a lot of people don’t necessarily see the problem the same way they see it in sweatshops and Amazon packing bays. And to be fair, they don’t see it there either.

I see it. I see it every day. I see it in my own job, where I am a cog in a machine, overworked and underpaid, readily replaced no matter how hard I work. Only in my case they can’t make me work above my mandated hours, so they just oblige me to get two people’s work done in one working day, on the same pay I was getting fifteen years ago, despite massive inflation. And I do it, because I have no choice. And I’m told that “that’s just the way it is”.

Mostly it’s that people won’t step outside themselves, I think. I can see why, I guess - it’s a hard enough world that sometimes the only problems you can focus on are your own. Just ... I can’t help but notice that it’s the rich, powerful and/or privileged beyond measure who have the worst track record when it comes to looking beyond their own needs and interests. I’m sorry, but ... it’s the old straight white guys, and wealthy old straight white guys are the worst of the breed, with getting-by-and-bitter-about-it old straight white guys coming in a close second.

We’re getting to a point in this late stage capitalism world in which we live where society is crumbling. I mean, obviously not in the zombie apocalyse sense, but society isn’t about the trappings - it’s not about the things, or even about the money. Society’s root comes from the same one as ‘social’ - the Latin socius, which means “comrade, friend, ally”. Ally. People who help each other. We don’t have that anymore. Most of the Western world no longer has a society on any significant basis. We are told that it’s every man for himself. We’re told it’s sink or swim. We are told to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps (despite the fact that this analogy is actually meant to be used to denote things that are literally impossible, not some ideal to hold on to). We are not given support or help from the governments we support with our taxes - or, if we do, it’s given grudgingly at best. The only support we get is from each other, with what little we can manage, and every time something like that happens, it’s lauded as an uplifting tale of generosity instead of ... oh, I don’t know, a massive failure to actually be a society of allies and comrades.

I want to live in an actual society, where people help each other to grow and prosper to the mutual benefit of all involved. That’s what an alliance is, and societies are alliances of individuals and organisations alike. But when the people at the top are seeing money as a way of keeping score, and no one is given what they need to thrive...

This is the apocalypse, ladies and gentlemen. Not with a bang, but a whimper and 80-100 hour work weeks and the devaluation of the actual work in favour of the aggrandisement of those who profit from the exploitation of the workers. This is how society ends. Maybe - just maybe - we can salvage something if we take steps now. Honestly, I’d rather have an apocalypse of people united in reshaping the world to actually be made of social creatures than to be living in Orwell’s nightmare - a boot stamping on a human face, forever.

[taskmo]

Who Are Gig Workers?

Non-traditional workers are also known as gig workers. They earn income outside the traditional employer-employee relationship. A gig is a term that describes a job that lasts for a specific period.

Many terms can describe a gig worker: independent contractor or online platform worker, a contract worker with a firm, worker for a temporary company, worker on-call, worker on-demand, or contract worker. They enter into formal agreements with on-demand businesses to provide services for the company or its clients. The official definition of a gig worker is still debated, and different aspects can lead to other purposes.

A gig worker is defined by the work arrangement, the relationship between work and the company that pays them. Long-term workers usually earn a salary, whereas gig workers work on projects or temporarily and receive variable compensation.

Other definitions include tax status and legal class, which are the differences between employees and independent contractors. They may also have benefits and are protected by the employer’s anti-discrimination and minimum wage laws. Independent contractors are provided benefits and abide by law, while gig workers do not have benefits and are not covered under any laws.

The nature of gig work can be used to define it. It is the work that a worker does every day and the characteristics of the work, such as flexibility, scheduling, oversight, etc.

WHAT IS THE GIG ECONOMY?

The gig economy is a system that allows temporary jobs and organizations to hire gig workers to fulfill short-term obligations. It is a different work arrangement from the traditional primary job. This type of economy departs from the conventional economy, where full-time workers rarely change jobs. Employers find gig workers more cost-effective and efficient than full-time workers.

The gig economy is a network of workers who make a living from companies like Uber, Airbnb, Amazon Flex, or others. This type of economy is popular in cities but is also common nationwide.

GIG WORKER Vs. REGULAR EMPLOYEE

An employee and a gig worker are two different things. The employee is paid by the company and is employed by the company. On the other hand, a gig worker is someone hired by a company to do a specific task or complete a project. The gig worker can either complete the project and then quit working or decide to stay with the company until the company approves.

Employees receive workers’ compensation, retirement plans, and health care. Employers also send a W2 to the employee, which automatically deducts their taxes. Gig workers are not entitled to benefits, retirement, or healthcare, and their taxes are not automatically withheld.

Because gig work is more volatile and less secure than long-term work, it is generally considered less stable and more uncertain.

GIG WORK HISTORY

The rise in gig work is due to the pandemic, economic advancements, and industry digitization. However, this concept is not new. The gigs, including food and parcel delivery, are not new. However, it has been possible to make an income moving from one job to the next since the early 1900s.

GIG WORK: THE RISE OF GIG

On-demand platforms have seen an increase in use due to the rise of smartphones and other information and communication technology. These platforms have created new jobs and other forms of employment that are not traditional in terms of access, convenience, price competition, and accessibility.

Most gig work is available through cloud-based platforms; meaning gig workers don’t have to be in one place to accept a job. Employers also benefit from this because they can select the best candidates for specific projects, regardless of their geographical location.

The following are other factors that contribute to gig work’s rise:

Businesses are under financial pressure, so they need to be able to hire flexible workers to meet their staffing requirements. The gig economy is an evolution of the trend that millennials are more likely than others to switch jobs throughout their career.

Entrepreneurship is on the rise. The idea of being your boss is highly desired by Americans who want less direct management and more significant job flexibility. However, this may mean less job security and fewer benefits.

The effects of COVID-19 on the overall work environment.

FUTURE OF GIG

There are many reasons for optimism that the gig economy and gig workers will continue growing. A growing trend is toward gig work becoming a digital platform that connects businesses and service providers, which helps to close the skill gap for short-term projects.

Taskmo is a tech-driven platform that makes it simple and secure for both parties. It allows them to choose the right candidate and then pay them for their work. While some people use the gig economy to supplement their income, others depend on it as their primary source. Many people are still unaware of the revolution in the world of work that is transforming how businesses operate around the globe. Grow your business 10X using Taskmo Services

To read more click here: https://taskmo.com/blog/who-are-gig-workers

[edwincannan]

Capstone Coverage works with Amazon DSP providers and other individual couriers. They can help clients assess their risk and ensure that they have sufficient insurance to protect their needs without wasting money being over-insured.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Amazon's plan traffic deaths from same-day delivery: deflect blame to anonymous subcontractors

Amazon's got a tried-and-true way to deal with the negative consequences of high-speed ecommerce logistics: use subcontractors who can absorb the blame for the human toll wrought by the machine-like pace it demands of its workers.

Until ow, the majority of attention has been on the conditions in Amazon warehouses, from the humiliating searches to the punishing physical labor to limits on things like bathroom breaks. True to form, Amazon's boilerplate response to the deaths and injuries (and lesser evils like wage theft) at these facilities has been to blame contractors and subcontractors for cutting corners.

Now, a masterful, long, deeply researched Propublica/NYT investigation shows that the same pattern has been manifested outside of Amazon's warehouses, on our city streets, where the pressure to meet unrealistic delivery promises has led to an epidemic of deaths and injuries to Amazon drivers and the bystanders who happened to get in their way.

These drivers are classed as contractors or subcontractors by Amazon, though the company retains the right to blacklist disfavored drivers, and uses an app to minutely schedule and direct the work of these "independent contractors" who are expected to indemnify Amazon for damages arising from the people they kill on the road. Many of the contractors providing delivery services to Amazon only have one customer: Amazon.

To aid in these layers of obfuscation, Amazon has fought local ordinances that require drivers to affix signs to their vehicles identifying them as Amazon delivery vehicles, leaving the dead and injured to imagine that they were run over by some rando in a Penkse rental box-truck.

Amazon either doesn't know or won't say how many people their drivers have killed, and the company's secrecy makes it hard to independently arrive at a figure.

But Amazon does provide training materials to drivers: these thin booklets and their accompanying videos barely mention "defensive driving" and are mere figleafs when compared to the extensive training that rivals like UPS provide to their drivers, which run a gamut from classroom instruction to VR simulators.

Amazon has rolled out its own fleet of vehicles with proprietary livery, but this development has not been attended by any kind of remediation for the "independents" who still do the majority of Amazon driving, in the form of better vehicle identification, better training, or indemnification systems that would allow the victims of these contracted drivers to be justly compensated for their injuries.

https://boingboing.net/2019/09/05/anonymous-subcontractors-r-us.html