Transformative or reproductive labour actions in online food delivery services? Reworking and resilience practices in the global North and global South

Abstract

Platform workers are resorting to diverse reworking and resilience practices as working conditions take a precarious turn as digital platforms evolve from a niche market presence into pervasive entities. The research reported in this article attempts to highlight the individualised practices stemming from the gaps in the human–digital–management collaboration paradigm through a North–South dichotomous approach. To this purpose, 122 interviews were conducted with food delivery platform workers across distinct tech hubs in India and Italy. The empirical evidence provides insights into the diverse reworking and resilience strategies workers use to address challenges at work, highlighting variations across countries due to differing structural, social and organisational arrangements. The article also reflects on the dilemma between the benefits workers derive from these strategies and their long-term implications for work arrangements and labour relations.