A gig market is a free economic network in which firms engage unaffiliated employees for short-term obligations in which temporary roles are frequent. Freelancers, online platform employees, contract company workers, on-call staff, and temporary employees are all examples of gig labor. On-demand workers sign official agreements with on-demand firms to supply services to their clients. As per the Ministry of Manpower, individuals and gig economy workers comprised approximately 10% of all working people in Singapore. According to a 2019 World Bank projection, the gig economy labor has risen at a steady rate of nearly 30% per year worldwide. Furthermore, some of the criticisms leveled against Singapore’s gig economy center on the concomitant race to the bottom in terms of salaries and working conditions. In fact, there should be a union for gig economy workers in Singapore since a union can make decisions based on the perspectives of all union members.
Concerning the elaboration and development of a separate union for gig economy workers in Singapore, it is feasible to emphasize the factor related to people and individual working circumstances. Primarily, the union is in charge of improving gig labor protections and creating a more equitable relationship between marketplaces and network employees. In addition, within the course of the union’s activities, public dialogue on increasing platform worker safeguards is conducted. At the same time, it is possible to highlight the cons of having a gig-economy union in Singapore. For instance, people that work as contractors may not be as involved in their employer as those who are employed full-time. Moreover, ethical issues can arise in both internal and external environments of the gig economy union due to the differences in working conditions, as well as the need to communicate and cooperate within the network. As a consequence, the essential factor of potential can occur, which can generally harm all economic and business relations.
To summarize, a union for gig economy workers possesses both positive and negative aspects and factors of influence. The union is primarily responsible for enhancing gig labor protections and fostering a more equal connection between marketplaces and network workers. Furthermore, as part of the union’s efforts, a public discourse on improving platform worker protections is held. These processes ensure the improvement of the decision-making processes, which can result in economic and financial benefits.