Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
http://hdl.handle.net/10609/148667
Title: | Flexibility and freedom for whom? Precarity, freedom and flexibility in on-demand food delivery |
Author: | Renau Cano, Melissa Espelt, Ricard Fuster Morell, Mayo |
Citation: | Renau Cano, M. [Melissa]. Espelt, R. [Ricard]. Fuster Morell, M. [Mayo]. (2021). Flexibility and freedom for whom? Precarity, freedom and flexibility in on-demand food delivery. Work Organisation, Labour & Globalisation. 2021. Vol. 15(1):46-68. DOI: 10.13169/workorgalaboglob.15.1.0046 |
Abstract: | On-demand delivery platforms appropriate ‘freedom’ and ‘flexibility’ discourses with claims such as ‘be your own boss’ and ‘work as much as you want to’. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Deliveroo updated its courier platform application with a ‘free login system’ in Barcelona whereby platform couriers could connect to the platform whenever, wherever, and as often as they wanted to. In this paper, we ask why the introduction of a ‘free login’ system generated even more precarious forms of work, by comparing workforce management systems both before and during the COVID-19 period. We argue that the reason it becomes problematic is rooted in Deliveroo’s business model, which is characterised by hiring on-demand, using a piece-rate payment and exercising hard workforce control through algorithmic management. |
Keywords: | Deliveroo flexibility freedom gig economy labour process control platform work |
DOI: | 10.13169/workorgalaboglob.15.1.0046 |
Document type: | info:eu-repo/semantics/article |
Version: | info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion |
Issue Date: | 1-Jan-2021 |
Publication license: | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
Appears in Collections: | Articles Articles cientÍfics |
Files in This Item:
File | Description | Size | Format | |
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workorgalaboglob.15.1.0046.pdf | 1,4 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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