Agenda

Good trade is trade that creates net positive and inclusive economic, social and environmental impacts. It provides entrepreneurial opportunities, particularly for women, young people and poor communities, and is climate smart. Good trade does not contribute to corruption or conflict and aligns with aspirations of stakeholders in affected communities. In the technology sector, the assumption is that it automatically contributes to good trade: IT companies tend to offer the highest wages in developing countries, offering opportunities to youth at scale. Even women, who tend to be under-represented in the sector, can benefit from it, like in the case of Seregela, a digital transportation platform that provides efficient taxi services by women drivers in Ethiopia or Zimba Women, which provides e-commerce services to create business opportunities for women. 

But the tech sector, in particular when it comes to companies operating in the “gig economy”, is not systematically associated with Good Trade: ride-hailing app drivers and entry-level online freelancers often have to accept low wages or fees. Are gig-economy business models by default built on the competition between human resources, structurally underpaying its workers and offering inappropriate working conditions? How does the gig economy situation in Africa compare with the standards of the International Labour Organization (ILO), according to which decent work sums up the aspirations of people in their working lives: 

• It involves opportunities for work that is productive and delivers a fair income,
• Security in the workplace and social protection for families,
• Better prospects for personal development and social integration,
• Freedom for people to express their concerns, organize and participate in the decisions that affect their lives and
• Equality of opportunity and treatment for all women and men .

How do freelancers offering their skills on platforms such as Taskmoby view their situation in terms of “decent work”? What are freelancers like the ones trained by Tunga and Ennovate Ventures saying about the jobs they are landing? The panel will discuss these questions to gain a better understanding of the situation.