By Staff Reporter
A lobby group has expressed solidarity with workers affected by shutdowns and poor labor practices in Kenya’s gig economy where they have emphasized the urgent need for government intervention to safeguard the rights of digital platform workers.
In a presser with journalists in Nairobi on Friday, the alliance consisting of Siasa PLACE, PROJECT ETHER, Kenya Human Rights Commission among others highlighted the growing significance of digital platform work in the modern economy where they raised concerns about the lack of adequate regulatory frameworks to protect workers’ rights.
We are aware of several legal disputes lodged in the Kenyan courts in the
Nerima Wako, Political analyst and Executive Director Siasa PLACE.
past few months, including one in which more than one hundred and eighty
(180+) online Content Moderators working for Facebook and Sama its sub-
contractor in Kenya have sued the two companies for unlawful and unfair
dismissal….
The group said that despite the opportunities that the digital platforms provide for employment, questions still persist about ensuring fair compensation, equal treatment, and labor mobility for workers. They raised concerns about transparency in recruitment processes and disparities in wages between Kenyan workers and their global counterparts.
They outlined several areas of concern, including the government’s focus on digital jobs without sufficient protections for workers, the absence of comprehensive frameworks for their rights, and the targeting of vulnerable groups for exploitation.
To mitigate this, they put forth proposals to address these issues, including self-assessments by digital platform companies, accountability measures by industry associations, and compliance audits by regulatory bodies. Additionally, they called for parliamentary investigations into unethical practices by foreign companies and for adherence to labor laws and constitutional principles.
They demanded for greater transparency and accountability from online task platforms operating in Kenya, underscoring the importance of upholding the dignity and rights of digital platform workers in the evolving landscape of the modern economy.
