The World Just Wrote Its First Rulebook for Gig Workers

World · Labour

For the first time, the world has agreed a common set of rules for the gig economy, the vast web of app-based jobs that now feeds, drives and delivers for millions of people, including across Latin America.

If you have ever ordered food on an app or hailed a ride with your phone, you have used the gig economy. Behind each tap is a worker.

For years those workers have lived in a legal grey zone. This week the world finally agreed to give them a rulebook.

What the gig economy treaty actually does

The agreement comes from the International Labour Organization. It is the United Nations body that sets standards for work around the globe.

Its structure is unusual and worth knowing. Governments, employers and workers each get an equal say in its decisions.

After long negotiations in Geneva, members adopted the text. It is the first international treaty written specifically for platform work.

Crucially, it covers all such workers. That holds true whether or not a company calls them employees.

That single point is what makes it powerful. It refuses to let the label a company chooses decide who gets protection.

The treaty comes paired with a recommendation. The first sets binding obligations, the second offers detailed guidance on how to meet them.

The scale of the workforce explains the urgency. By one count, more than 150 million people now work through digital platforms.

Other estimates run far higher still. The World Bank has suggested the number of online gig workers could be several hundred million.

Why these workers needed protection

The problem sits in how the apps work. Software assigns the jobs, sets the pay and even decides who is dropped.

Yet the companies rarely call these people staff. Instead they are usually labelled independent contractors.

That label has real consequences. It can leave workers without a minimum wage, safety rules or social security.

Rights groups have catalogued the strain. They describe long hours, unpredictable earnings and serious risks on the road.

Pay has often drifted downward over time. As more drivers and riders join, the fees per job can shrink for everyone.

The algorithm adds a layer of opacity. Workers frequently cannot see why they were passed over for a job or deactivated.

The question that divided the room

At the heart of the talks lay one old question. Who, exactly, counts as a worker in the first place?

Workers’ delegates pushed hard for binding rules. Many employers and some governments resisted tighter obligations.

The compromise was a treaty plus guidance. The treaty sets the binding floor, and a recommendation fills in the detail.

Why it matters for Latin America

This is far from a distant European debate. The gig economy has exploded across Latin America’s big cities.

Delivery riders and ride-hailing drivers are everywhere. They are a familiar sight on the streets of São Paulo, Bogotá and Ciudad de México.

Many work informally, without a safety net. In a region where informal jobs are common, the stakes are especially high.

Mexico was one of the countries studied by rights groups. Its app workers featured in the research that shaped the debate.

The economics are striking in the region. Apps have created flexible income for many who lacked formal jobs before.

But that flexibility comes at a cost. Without contracts, a sick day or an accident can wipe out a worker’s earnings overnight.

What happens next

A treaty is a starting point, not a finish line. Each country must now choose whether to ratify and apply it.

That process can take years. National laws and enforcement will decide how much the rules change daily life.

Still, the symbolism is large. The world has agreed that app workers deserve protection, and that alone shifts the conversation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did the ILO adopt?

The International Labour Organization adopted the world’s first international treaty protecting workers in the gig economy. It was agreed at the annual labour conference in Geneva and applies to all platform workers, regardless of their employment status.

Why do gig workers need a treaty?

Apps control tasks, pay and performance through software, yet often classify workers as independent contractors rather than employees. That can leave them without a minimum wage, workplace safety or social security.

How does it affect Latin America?

Delivery and ride-hailing apps are widespread across the region’s cities, often staffed by informal workers with little protection. The treaty sets a global standard, though each country must decide whether to ratify and enforce it.