This is a call for proposals for one-year funded partnerships with the Fairwork project, which acts to ensure decent work standards for workers on digital platforms. Proposals must be submitted by 19 September via email to Jean-Paul.VanBelle@uct.ac.za with cc to Pitso.Tsibolane@uct.ac.za, JeanPaul.VanBelle@gmail.com and mxakato.nonny6@gmail.com
In brief, we are seeking two partner organisations for a one-year action research project that will expand Fairwork’s reach in the global South to new countries beyond its current focus on India and South Africa. The projects will involve an initial stakeholder workshop, data-gathering to rate about 10 local digital labour-broking platforms against five Fairwork principles of decent work, creation and support for local action plans, and dissemination of results. Funding of CAD$15,200 (Canadian $) is available per partner organisation. Please see below for further information, and feel free to share this page with any relevant partners
“Fair Work in the Platform Economy: A Global South Perspective” is an action research project funded by Canada’s International Development Research Centre via the Centro Latam Digital as part of the “Future of Work in the Global South” initiative. The project is co-ordinated by Jean-Paul Van Belle and Pitso Tsibolane at the Centre for IT and National Development in Africa at the University of Cape Town, in collaboration with Mark Graham at the Oxford Internet Institute and Richard Heeks at the Centre for Development Informatics, University of Manchester. It forms an extension to existing action research of the Fairwork project.
Fairwork’s main focus is rating digital work platforms – mainly but not exclusively in the ride-hailing, delivery and domestic work sectors – according to five decent work principles: pay, conditions, contracts, management, and governance. Evidence is gathered from the platforms themselves and from worker interviews, with each platform being scored between 0 and 10 (see examples here). Our aim is to press platforms to improve pay and working conditions; mainly through the use of these ratings by consumers, by platforms themselves, and by others but also through other means.
Partners We Are Seeking
We are seeking partners in two countries of the Global South to help expand Fairwork beyond its existing activity in India and South Africa. Following partner selection (months 1-2 of the project), the partners will be asked, in collaboration with members of the Fairwork project team, to undertake the following activities:
Budget
The following amounts will be available for each partner (note some viring of budget between headings may be possible; all amounts are in Canadian dollars):
– Local research team general costs including initial stakeholder workshop: CAD3,000
– Local research team data-gathering: CAD3,000
– Local action-related costs: CAD1,500
In addition, there is an amount earmarked of 2 x CAD2,500 for attendance at a Fairwork international special workshop, and CAD2,700 for attendance to present at one international conference. The total is therefore CAD15,200. A separate budget is available to cover the costs of core team member visits to enable their participation in project set-up activities.
Format of Proposal
FAQs
Do please circulate to those who might be relevant partners.
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