3. Data and methods

precise consequences.2 Blockages from the platform on their part, are relatively frequent and they are linked to employer’s reports when workers fail to meet the “code of conduct” established by the company (this includes faults such as lack of punctuality, unjustified absences, etc.). Zolversoffers and promotes workers’ services at an hourly rate that varies based on the weekly workload: the hourly price decreases as the weekly workload increases (although it has to be noted that short hour jobs widely prevail in the company). However, the impact of the platform in setting the price of work is restricted to the initial period of the employment relationship – the evolution of wages from that point onwards is subject to negotiation between workers and employers.

Figure 1. Summary of platform´s characteristics

Source: authors' own creation.

The qualitative data consists mainly to a series of 60 semi-structured interviews carried out between June and July 2020 - 20 interviews per occupation under study-. The data collected had to do with issues such as previous labour trajectories, motivations to join the platforms, general working conditions, access to social protection, and expectations for the future. Since the data was collected amidst the most severe part of Argentina’s lockdown due to the pandemic, the impact of the Covid_19 crisis among these workers was also a topic of enquiry.

The quantitative fieldwork, in turn, consisted of a survey of 1050 cases carried out between December 2020 and January 2021. Each platform was assigned 300 cases, with the exception of Uber for which 150 additional female cases were included. This latter addition had to do with the intention of giving account of the experiences and situation of the significantly higher proportion of local female drivers

2 For more on the analysis about this platform, see Pereyra et al. (2022).