Fairwork Principles: Fair Representation

Platform work provides essential income and opportunities to tens of millions of people around the world. However, most platform workers are not protected by existing employment law or collective bodies, meaning they face low pay, precarity, and poor and dangerous working conditions. Fairwork is committed to highlighting best and worst labour practices in the platform economy. Our goal is to show that better, and fairer, jobs are possible in the platform economy.

This series of animated videos highlights the five Fairwork Principles. These principles were developed through a collaborative process that reflects the insights of our international network and the voices of workers around the world. They provide a benchmark of fair platform work, for platforms, workers, customers and policymakers. Read more: https://fair.work/en/fw/principles/

In this video, we look at the principle of Fair Representation. As an individual worker, it’s hard to make a stand against unfair terms, but together, far more can be achieved. All workers, including gig workers, have the right to organise in collective bodies, and platforms should be prepared to cooperate and negotiate with them.

The story in this video is based on the collective experiences of platform workers identified during Fairwork’s global research. The specific characters, platforms, and incidents portrayed in this video are fictitious. No identification with actual persons, places, or products is intended.