Self-employed or employees? An examination of working conditions at the digital platform Rappi

Authors

  • Diogo Torres Graduado no Bacharelado Interdisciplinar em Humanidades (UFBA), Graduando em Direito (UFBA), bolsista PIBIC/CNPQ do projeto de pesquisa: Plataformas digitais de trabalho: análise crítica e comparada sobre a regulação legislativa e negociada - UFBA. Participante no grupo de pesquisa Transformações do Trabalho, Direito e Proteção Social (TTDPS/UFBA). https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7766-4329
  • João Pedro Oliveira Magalhães Graduando em Direito (UFBA), bolsista PIBIC/FAPESB do projeto de pesquisa: Plataformas digitais de trabalho: análise crítica e comparada sobre a regulação legislativa e negociada - UFBA. Participante no grupo de pesquisa Transformações do Trabalho, Direito e Proteção Social (TTDPS/UFBA). https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3451-4929
  • Silvia Helena Coelho Gomes Graduanda em Direito (UFBA), bolsista PIBIC/CNPQ (UFBA), membro do grupo de pesquisa Transformações do Trabalho, Direito e Proteção Social (TTDPS/UFBA). https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4398-3161
  • Vanessa Cunha de Souza Graduanda em Direito (UFBA), bolsista PIBIC/CNPq 2021-2022, monitora na disciplina Direito Sindical e Coletivo do Trabalho, aluna especial na disciplina de mestrado Sociologia do Trabalho (UFBA), membro do grupo de Pesquisa Transformações do Trabalho, Direito e Proteção Social (TTDPS/UFBA), pesquisadora voluntária do projeto de extensão Caminhos do Trabalho (UFBA). https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6563-837X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33637/2595-847x.2023-177

Keywords:

Rappi, digital platform, employment bond, worker's profile

Abstract

The article aims to analyze the working conditions of Rappi's delivery workers at a national level by investigating the legal nature of the service provided by the deliverers of the platform. The paper examines 102 interviews with workers collected during the PIBIC project at UFBA, about working conditions on the Rappi platform. In order to carry out such an examination, this paper presents a theoretical background on the platformization of work, which will serve as a basis for the analysis of the observed reality. Based on that, it investigates the contradictions found between the platform's terms of use and the delivery drivers' reports about their work. In this way, the paper conducts a study of Rappi as a digital platform, analyzes the terms of use and the platform's operation, presents the data from the empirical research and, lastly, analyzes the labor regulation framework that better suits the delivery drivers. The partial results of these interviews indicates that the majority profile of the delivery drivers corresponds to the courier who works more than 44 (forty-four) hours a week, earns approximately two minimum wages/hour, does not calculate deductions of costs for the development of the activity, has suffered some kind of blocking or punishment and recognizes that there is control by the platform, but does not consider himself an employee.

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Published

2023-02-28

How to Cite

Torres, D., Magalhães, J. P. O., Gomes, S. H. C., & Souza, V. C. de. (2023). Self-employed or employees? An examination of working conditions at the digital platform Rappi. Laborare, 6(10), 103–127. https://doi.org/10.33637/2595-847x.2023-177

Issue

Section

O Trabalho em Plataformas Digitais no Brasil