Platform workers should be guaranteed basic labor benefits — including the right to paid vacation and sick leave — according to Kazakh lawmaker Bibigul Zheksenbai. She has also proposed introducing a minimum hourly wage for platform workers.
Proposal targets drivers and couriers
The initiative would apply to taxi drivers and couriers, whose number has already reached more than 394,000 in Kazakhstan. Although these workers effectively operate under structured conditions — including schedules, tariffs and rating systems — they are not formally protected by employment contracts.
«To ensure adequate protection for workers in the platform economy, a dedicated legislative act is needed — one that accounts for the unique nature of platform-based work, formally establishes the status of “independent worker,» and sets minimum hourly wage standards. It is equally important to introduce mandatory collective insurance for workers, funded by platforms, in the event of road accidents and other injuries,” Zheksenbai said.
Calls for transparency and worker rights
The lawmaker also emphasized that digital platforms should disclose how orders are distributed. Additionally, couriers should have the right to appeal account suspensions or bans.
Kursiv.media’s earlier reporting highlighted that the average salary of couriers in Kazakhstan has risen to about 500,000 tenge ($1,000).
