小雨の降る金曜の夜、都心の繁華街を一台のスクーターが縫うように走り抜けていく。背中の大きな保温バッグに目を凝らせば、見慣れた配達アプリのロゴが浮かび上がる。信号が青に変わるが早いか、運転手はアクセルを握り直し、次の店舗へと急ぐ。画面の右上に表示された配達時間のカウントダウンは、彼の焦りをいっそう煽るかのようだ。
On a drizzly Friday night, a single scooter weaves its way through the bustling streets of downtown Tokyo. A closer look at the large insulated bag strapped to the rider's back reveals the familiar logo of a food delivery app. The instant the light turns green, the rider grips the throttle again and races toward the next restaurant. The countdown timer in the upper right corner of his screen seems to stoke his anxiety even further.
彼の名は佐々木、二十八歳。三年前まではアパレル業界の正社員として働いていたが、コロナ禍を境にウーバーイーツの配達員へと転じた。「会社に縛られない自由は、何ものにも代えがたい」と本人は言うものの、その自由には常に隣り合わせの不安がつきまとう。雨に濡れたヘルメットの下で、彼はそっと息をついた。
His name is Sasaki, twenty-eight years old. Until three years ago he worked as a regular employee in the apparel industry, but the pandemic pushed him to switch over to delivering for Uber Eats. "The freedom of not being tied to a company is worth more than anything," he says, yet that freedom always carries an undercurrent of anxiety. Beneath his rain-soaked helmet, he lets out a quiet sigh.
近年、いわゆるギグエコノミーが急速に拡大している。プラットフォームを介して単発の仕事を請け負う働き方は、配達員にとどまらず、フリーランスのデザイナー、ライター、クラウドワーカーなど、多岐にわたる職種へと広がりを見せている。コロナ禍を皮切りに、副業を解禁する企業も相次ぎ、本業との掛け持ちで稼ぐ会社員も珍しくなくなった。
In recent years, the so-called gig economy has expanded at a dizzying pace. Picking up one-off jobs through a platform is no longer limited to delivery riders; the model has spread to freelance designers, writers, crowdworkers, and a wide range of other occupations. Starting with the pandemic, one company after another lifted bans on side gigs, and salaried employees juggling a day job and a side hustle have become anything but unusual.
働き手にとっての魅力は、何といっても時間と場所に縛られない柔軟性だろう。子育て中の主婦であれ、定年退職後の高齢者であれ、自分のペースで仕事を選び、好きな時間に稼げる。組織のしがらみや人間関係のストレスから解放されることを思えば、これほど魅力的な働き方はないと感じる人も多い。
For workers, the chief appeal is, without a doubt, the flexibility of not being bound to a fixed time or place. Whether you are a stay-at-home parent or a retiree past sixty-five, you can pick the jobs you want and earn at your own pace. For many, the chance to escape the entanglements of organizational hierarchy and workplace relationships makes this the most attractive way of working they can imagine.
しかし、自由の裏側には看過できない代償が潜んでいる。社会保険や厚生年金はおろか、最低賃金の保障すら受けられないのが実情だ。配達中に事故に遭おうが、病に倒れようが、収入は即座に途絶える。会社員時代には当然のように享受していた補償が、独立した途端に音を立てて崩れ落ちる。
Behind the freedom, however, lurks a cost that cannot be brushed aside. Social insurance and employer-funded pensions are out of reach, let alone any guarantee of a minimum wage. If a rider has an accident on the road or falls ill, the income stops the same day. The protections taken for granted during salaried employment come crashing down the moment one strikes out alone.
佐々木もまた、その厳しさを身をもって思い知らされた一人である。独立して半年が過ぎた頃、自宅に届いた国民健康保険の通知書を開いて愕然とした。これまで給与から天引きされていた額の倍近い金額が記載されていたのだ。「これだけ稼いでいるはずなのに、手元にはほとんど残らない」と彼はため息をつく。
Sasaki, too, is among those who have learned this harshness firsthand. About six months after going independent, he opened a National Health Insurance bill that had arrived at his apartment and was floored by what he saw. The amount printed there was nearly twice what had quietly been deducted from his old paycheck. "I'm supposedly earning more than ever, yet barely anything ends up in my pocket," he sighs.