At 6 a.m., James reaches for his phone before he even gets out of bed. The ride-hailing app has already started sending notifications. If he logs in early enough, he might secure enough trips to meet his daily target. If he doesn’t, he risks spending hours waiting for customers while fuel prices continue to rise.
Across Nairobi, Amina sits behind a computer screen reviewing disturbing online content. Her job is to help keep social media platforms safe by flagging violent, abusive, or harmful posts. Some days, the images she sees stay with her long after she has logged off. Yet despite the emotional toll of her work, she has limited access to mental health support and little job security.
James and Amina are among millions of platform workers worldwide whose livelihoods depend on digital platforms. While technology has created new opportunities for earning an income, many workers say the system has left them vulnerable to exploitation, unstable earnings, and poor working conditions.
Kenyan Workers Take Their Fight to the Global Stage
As governments, employers, and workers gather at the 114th Session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva from June 1 to June 12, Kenyan platform workers are calling for stronger protections and recognition of their rights.
Representatives from several worker organizations, including the Kenya Union of Gig Workers (KUGWO), Africa Tech Workers Movement, Data Labellers Association, HomeNet International, Women Commercial Drivers Association of Kenya, and the Africa Content Moderators Union, have united to advocate for a global convention that guarantees decent work in the platform economy.
According to the workers, platform labour extends far beyond ride-hailing services. It includes content moderators, data labelers who help train artificial intelligence systems, freelancers, content creators, delivery workers, and home-based entrepreneurs who sell products online.
The Challenges Behind the Apps
While many families rely on platform work to pay bills and put food on the table, workers say the reality often differs from the promise of flexibility and opportunity.
In a statement released ahead of the conference, worker representatives cited concerns including unstable incomes, unrealistic performance targets, opaque rating systems, excessive surveillance, unfair account deactivations, and a lack of social protection. They argue that workers are often managed by algorithms that can significantly affect their livelihoods without transparency or accountability.
Mental health has also emerged as a major concern. Content moderators, in particular, are exposed to disturbing material daily, while drivers and delivery workers face long working hours and pressure to remain constantly available.
What Workers Are Demanding
The Kenyan groups are urging the International Labour Conference to adopt a convention that would guarantee fundamental labour rights for platform workers worldwide. Among their key demands are:
- Recognition of all platform workers as workers entitled to labour protections.
- Fair and transparent pay systems.
- Protection from unfair account suspensions and deactivations.
- Regulation of algorithmic management systems.
- Access to social security and occupational safety protections.
- Mental health support.
- Stronger privacy and data protection safeguards.
- The right to rest and disconnect from work without penalties.
The groups also want workers to have access to dispute resolution mechanisms within the countries where they work rather than being forced to pursue complaints in foreign jurisdictions.
Why Families Should Care
For many Kenyan households, platform work has become an important source of income, especially among young people navigating a challenging job market. Parents may have children working as freelancers, delivery riders, online content creators, or data labelers. Others may themselves depend on app-based work to support their families.
The debate taking place in Geneva is therefore about more than technology. It is about livelihoods, family stability, mental wellness, and ensuring that the digital economy creates opportunities without sacrificing workers’ dignity and well-being.
As the world becomes increasingly dependent on digital platforms and artificial intelligence, the workers powering those systems are asking a simple question: If technology is shaping the future, shouldn’t the people behind it have a fair chance to thrive too?
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