Contactless delivery: Migrant experiences in the platform economy

This chapter provides an overview of the circumstances of food delivery workers in the platform economy in the global North, presented through the experiences of temporary migrant workers. It explores how food delivery is experienced by temporary migrant workers in Australia. Food delivery workers’ earnings are typically below minimum wage, and operating costs and other responsibilities shift to workers. Food delivery workers also carry out other individual and collective acts of resistance against platforms, algorithms, restaurants and customers. Temporary migrants often choose the gig economy as the conditions are considered better than the alternatives available to them in industries such as hospitality, cleaning and agriculture. Temporary migrants who bring food to our doorsteps depend on this work and need more support. Therefore, more just and fair approaches are required to protect the livelihoods and dignity of food delivery workers in the gig economy.