Precarity and Solidarity in Gig Work: The Dynamics of Platform-Mediated Cleaning in Norway

This article delves into how workers’ motivations and dependency on platform work influence their willingness to engage in solidarity. This study, using worker-centred data, investigates platform-mediated domestic cleaning, an understudied sector in the gig economy. Empirically, the article identifies three categories of motivations among domestic platform cleaners, emphasizing the roles of dependency and voluntariness in understanding precarity and solidaristic potential. Theoretically, the article contributes to distinguishing between voluntary and involuntary gig work and the degree of dependency on the work, underscoring the varying experiences of workers performing the same tasks and the importance of understanding their motivations in platform-mediated gig work. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of why workers opt for precarious work arrangements in the face of protective welfare systems discussing the link between segmented labour markets and precarious works. It sheds light on their underlying motivations in the context of platform-mediated gig work and highlights the nuances in platform work.