Translators in the platform economy: a decent work perspective

• DOI: 10.1080/0907676x.2024.2323213
• Publication Date: 2024-03-08T11:20:23Z
• Authors: Gökhan Fırat; Joanna Gough; Joss Moorkens
• Keywords: Dominance (genetics); Transformative Learning; Representation; Digital Economy

In the wake of platform economy's transformative influence on translation work, this study aims to address a critical concern: alignment workers' labour conditions with principles decent work. Through quantitative analysis subset questionnaire data collected from translators in Turkey engaging various digital platforms, findings suggest substantial disparities meeting six fundamental as defined by International Labour Organization (ILO). These include insufficient earnings, excessive and asocial working hours, difficulties achieving work-life balance, absence safe healthy work environment, limited social security access, deficiency dialogue, representation, workplace democracy. The identified issues align prior studies, which warn that techno-political developments industry, coupled dominance capitalist business structures, may introduce new challenges constraints its workers, ultimately leading exploitative unsustainable conditions.