Platform labour in contexts of high informality: Any improvement for workers? A critical assessment based on the case of Argentina

Abstract

The article analyses the effects of digital labour platforms in a context characterised by high informality, exploring the way platforms may or may not imply a disruption in this respect. To do so, it examines the labour transitions that lead to platform labour, taking into account the formal status of workers before and after joining platforms, as well as their evaluation of resulting labour conditions. The article relies on a quantitative survey and in depth interviews for three on-demand occupations in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area, ride-hailing, home repairs and domestic service. Results show that a platform´s influence on the formal status of workers (and their assessment of it) is highly contingent upon: the platform´s business model, including the legal status that may be used to integrate the workforce, the pre-existing formal/informal dynamics within the occupation and the general labour market situation.