Mexico's Platform Workers: Labour Reform and the Threshold for Rights

Platform Workers in Mexico and Their Struggle for Full Labour Rights

When the labour reform pilot programme was introduced in mid-2025, Mexico's platform workers welcomed it with high hopes. The new chapter on digital platform work in the Federal Labour Law legally recognises people providing services via apps such as Uber, Rappi, and DiDi as workers with fundamental labour rights.

How disappointing, then, to discover that this applied to only a small percentage of them. Although the law states that earning the Minimum Wage (around $400) entitles you to full labour rights, most platform workers must earn significantly more (around $1,000). The income they use to pay for work tools is not considered ‘salary.’ The result? As per a report by the Unión Nacional de Trabajadores por Aplicación, only 164,205 of the 1,199,202 workers registered on various digital platforms across the country accessed social security effectively in the best-performing month of the analysed period.

Where does the loophole lie? More importantly, is this threshold final?

Social Security and Platform Work in Mexico: the Income Threshold

The new law distinguishes between two types of platform worker: subordinate (subordinados) and independent (independientes).

Subordinate workers earn a monthly net income of at least the Minimum Wage in Mexico City. This equates to 8,364 pesos, or around 400 dollars. These workers have full rights under the Federal Labour Law. Independent workers are those who earn less than this threshold, but still have certain basic rights, such as protection against occupational hazards.

As in most Latin American countries, people in Mexico turn to platform work due to a lack of opportunities in the formal labour market. At first, many see it as a secondary activity, but platform dynamics often turn it into a main source of income: the more tasks or shifts you accept, the more work is offered. Sergio Guerrero, the Secretary General of the Unión Nacional de Trabajadores por Aplicación, told us that 80% platform workers in Mexico rely solely on these jobs for their income. The majority of them are men under 40.

This flourishing scenario is now backed by a labour reform that establishes important foundations for labour rights, and recognises Mexican platform workers as fully-fledged workers. Unfortunately, only a few of them can actually experience its positive effects. 'Many workers still face challenges in accessing full social security benefits due to income requirements,' highlights Sergio Guerrero.

The Federal Labour Law requires workers to earn at least the national Minimum Wage to qualify for full rights. However, secondary laws and guidelines for digital platforms have changed how this works in practice. Under these rules, the amount that Mexico’s platform workers must generate has been 'artificially inflated'. Platform companies argued that not all of a platform worker's income counts as salary: part of it is used to replace or maintain work tools. This percentage is excluded from salary calculations, and affects the overall result. Workers must now generate around $1,000 to access full coverage, rather than $400.

Because most do not reach this threshold, they only have limited occupational risk coverage. Overall, only 10% of platform workers in Mexico have access to full social security.

What Lies Behind Flexibility for Platform Workers in Mexico

Another key aspect of the reform is what flexibility means for platform workers in Mexico. The labour reform states that ‘platform work is defined as flexible and discontinuous; the employment relationship only exists during the time actually worked, from when a task is accepted until it is completed’. In other words, if you are not actively working and waiting for trips and something happens to you, you are not covered.

The reform also states that ‘workers can connect to and disconnect from the platform at any time, which preserves the flexibility that is typical of this sector’. ‘The conversation has now shifted to other labour rights, such as holidays and bonuses,’ Guerrero stresses.

Work Shifts and Right to Disconnect in Mexican Gig Jobs

How workers manage their time is currently at the heart of many debates about the world of work. The advent of platforms has altered this perception and raised many questions. For example, can someone who relies on their working hours for their sole income truly decide how many hours they work each day or week? Does the ability to connect and disconnect offer workers an advantage? Doesn't this undermine the concepts of necessary rest and work-life balance?

Guerrero questioned the defences of labour platforms. In their view, workers would rather choose their own hours than be restricted. He explained that, while it may seem as though workers can choose their own hours, they often end up working standard 8-10 hours a day, six or seven days a week. A recent analysis of the union indicates that over 70% of app workers exceed 30 hours per week, with nearly 40% working over 50 hours. In this context, women are the most disadvantaged: only 6% of those who have crossed the insurance threshold work in this sector.

Ongoing Efforts to Secure Labour Rights for Platform Workers in Mexico

Overall, Guerrero is optimistic about the progress made. ‘We have prepared a report on the pilot programme that concluded in December. This will be used to establish the final guidelines for the reform that began in January 2026.'

The structure of the labour law has already been established and voted on, but a transitional article has been added to allow modifications based on observations made during the pilot programme. The Ministry of Labour and the Mexican Social Security Institute will review the number of platform workers who registered and accessed the programme, those who did not, the average salary, and their geographical location. They have yet to decide whether to keep the 1,000 dollar limit, lower it, raise it, or by how much in each case. Other administrative issues must be considered: what worked and what didn’t, and how can companies be made more transparent? There is a window of a few months to establish what will remain as fixed guidelines in the law. We will then see what happens.

‘The cornerstone of the Mexican labour reform was recognising that an employment relationship exists. This enables us, the trade unions, and organised groups to explore avenues in 2026. For example, we can consider unionisation and expanding membership, with the aim of establishing a collective bargaining agreement.’ And he closes on a positive note: ‘In 2026, an ILO agreement on digital platforms will also be discussed at an international level, which will be crucial for the global regulation of this sector.'

If you would like to find out more, you can read the full text of the labour reform in Mexico or gain further insight via the Unión Nacional de Trabajadores por Aplicación de México's communications channels.