Topic of the thesis: Digital Labour Relations in the Gig Economy: Platform-to-Consumer Food Delivery Services in Global North and Global South.

Abstract:The digitally mediated platforms are leading to intense restructuring in labour relations and their micro-political interactions vis-à-vis traditional hierarchical structures. These platforms are losing their position as neutral tools in facilitating economic transactions and are seen as operating under unilateral capitalistic relations. Indeed, these models dwell extensively on different data and algorithmic configurations to maintain the same (at times stricter) control and hold over the workers and their working conditions. Hence, this research intends to explore whether digitally mediated labour relations can democratise labour through (re)mediating traditional hierarchies and rigidities in the labour process across different political-economic contexts. This research uses labour process theorisation through a critical realist perspective that seeks to create an integrative approach in reflecting on the linkages between the micro-level relations within the broader macro contexts. Hence, a comparative case study approach has been used to explore cross-national variations and similarities in examining how platform-based technologies influence labour relations across distinct tech hubs in Global North and Global South. In this, one hundred and twenty platform-to-consumer food delivery workers have been selected across cities of India [Mumbai and Guwahati] and Italy [Milan and Bologna] using stratified purposive sampling. Observations and unstructured interviews were used to collect the data, which was designed to involve respondents in critical thinking and explore their experiences from both a reflective and experiential perspective. Each interview has been transcribed verbatim and analysed within, and across the cases using the statistical software MAXQDA to store, code and thematically analyse the data..

Research interests: Sociology of work and organisations; Sociology of labour; Digitalisation of work

Graduated from: University of Gauhati University (BA) – Gauhati University (MCom) – Tata Institute of Social Sciences (MA and MPhil).

Degrees obtained: BA in Commerce (Honours in Management) – MCom in Commerce (Honours in Human Resource Management) – MA in Labour Studies and Social Protection – MPhil in Social sciences.

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