Negotiating the Route: Informality and Precariousness in Peruvian Platform Work

Abstract

The expansion of platform work in Peru has occurred in a context of regulatory ambiguity, further marked by pre-existing labor precariousness. This article explores the fragmented responses from public institutions and the government, as well as the expectations and strategies of workers to navigate an uncertain environment. Based on interviews with drivers and analysis of public policies, the study discusses the dynamics of normative negotiation by workers and politicians. Specifically, we analyze the complexity surrounding notions of formality, as the distinction between formal and informal work is blurred, and workers do not necessarily value it in the same way as regulators. Through this discussion, we contribute to the debate on the governance of platform work, as the Peruvian case exemplifies the challenges faced by countries with high levels of informality in the face of the expansion of new technologies.