Do Labour Codes Change Gig Work Realities? A PLS-SEM Study of Gig Workers’ Perception on Income Security, Work Regulation and Dispute Resolution in India

Gig economy, Labour codes, Income security, Work regulation, Dispute resolution, Job satisfaction

This paper investigates the effectiveness of the new Labour Codes in India in changing the perceptions of the income security, work regulation and dispute resolution and the effect that these perceptions have on job satisfaction and work wellbeing. The fast growth of the gig economy in India (in ride-hailing, food delivery, logistics and home services) has provided workers with flexible jobs at the cost of leaving them vulnerable to income uncertainties, disrupted work schedules, and lack of redress against grievances. Despite the recent reforms in labour regulating to expand social protection and control over gig and platform employees, empirical data on its perceived impact is scarce. To fill this gap, the quantitative research based on the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was conducted with the survey data about 120 gig workers with large digital platforms who work in India. Labour Code Implementation Perception (LCIP) was the independent variable, income security the mediating variable, work regulation and effectiveness of dispute resolution as the mediating variable and job satisfaction and work wellbeing the dependent variable. The nature and type of gigs (full time and part-time) was taken as moderators to capture contextual variations. The results show that the perceived effectiveness of the improvement of labour codes is highly significant in contributing to the increase in income security and strengthening the work regulation and confidence in the redressal mechanisms of grievance, which, in its turn, positively affects the job satisfaction and wellbeing of gig workers. The findings reinforce the fact that the enactment of labour protections is not enough, but it must be implemented and enforced as well. The study offers practical implications for policymakers, regulators and platform companies seeking to promote fairer, safer and more sustainable working conditions in India’s gig economy.