The gig economy: The precariat in a climate precarious world

This article examines the vulnerabilities of gig workers, specifically app-based couriers, to climate change. It provides valuable insights from Vietnam and calls for a re-evaluation of gig economy practices in an increasingly warming world. These workers, among the world’s most climate-exposed demographics, contend with challenging working conditions, adverse weather, and inadequate protections. By highlighting the intersections of flexibility, misclassification, and precarity with environmental risks, this paper emphasises the pressing need to integrate climate considerations into discussions of gig economy labour precarity. The paper argues for greater scrutiny of platform companies, urging them to leverage their technological capabilities towards environmentally sustainable practices. Ultimately, the research stresses the critical importance of taking a holistic approach to understanding climate change impacts on employment relations in the gig economy, calling on platform companies to spearhead transformative, environmentally responsible solutions.