HRW Pushes ILO for Global Gig Worker Protections Ahead of June Treaty Talks
Human Rights Watch is calling for binding global labor standards for gig workers in an ILO treaty.
Why it matters: The push for international labor standards could reshape compliance requirements and legal risk for companies that rely on platform workers worldwide. In-house and regulatory counsels should monitor upcoming ILO negotiations, which may impact global labor strategies.
- HRW documented worker abuses in nine countries in its May 2026 report.
- ILO estimates platform work nearly doubled between 2016 and 2021.
- Up to 435 million people globally earn income through labor platforms.
- HRW urges June 2026 ILO treaty talks to set fair pay, social security, and safety standards.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a new report documenting widespread worker exploitation across the gig economy and called for binding global standards addressing pay, safety, and algorithmic accountability. The report, titled "Algorithms of Exploitation", gathers testimony from platform workers in nine varied labor markets: India, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mexico, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the United Kingdom.
- The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates global platform work nearly doubled between 2016 and 2021, and the World Bank pegs the total number of gig workers at up to 435 million worldwide.
- HRW found gig workers often face low and unstable earnings, unsafe environments, and lack of social protections or recourse if injured or unable to work.
- The organization recommends the upcoming June 2026 ILO negotiations establish clear obligations: including a presumption of employment when platforms exercise control, required fair pay, access to social security, algorithmic transparency, health and safety protections, and robust collective bargaining rights.
"Platform companies have built a business model that sidesteps labor protections and shifts risks and costs onto the workers. The ILO negotiations are the first global effort to get governments to course correct and ensure that using this model does not come at the expense of workers’ rights," said Lena Simet, Senior Economic Justice Advisor at HRW.
HRW warns government decisions at these talks will shape the future of work for millions, urging that "platform work is governed by fair pay, safety, and social security, not exploitation." The recommendations are seen as a blueprint for updating international legal frameworks as digital labor platforms proliferate.
By the numbers:
- 2x — Platform work nearly doubled globally between 2016 and 2021 (ILO)
- 435 million — Number of people worldwide earning income through labor platforms (World Bank)
What's next: ILO negotiations on the platform work treaty are scheduled for June 2026.