HYBRID OCCUPATIONAL SPACES AND DIGITAL SOLIDARITY: RE–EMBEDDING PLATFORM LABOUR THROUGH SOCIAL NETWORKS IN VIETNAM

The growth of platform capitalism in Vietnam has led to severe job insecurity and isolation for gig workers, pushing them into a legal grey area of ‘false self–employment’. This study examines how ride–hailing drivers in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam manage and resist this control by algorithms. Based on Karl Polanyi’s concept of ‘re–embedding’, the research uses a qualitative approach. It combines data from 25 in–depth interviews with an analysis of online driver communities. The findings show that drivers are not passive. Instead, they create ‘hybrid occupational spaces’ by linking physical meeting places (such as pavement cafés) with digital platforms (such as Zalo and Facebook groups). Within these spaces, workers build ‘digital solidarity’ in three main ways: sharing information to manage the algorithm, setting up informal financial safety nets, and offering emotional support to reduce work–related stress. Ultimately, this digital solidarity is a bottom–up effort to ‘re–embed’ their labour into protective social networks. The paper also points out the limits of informal support. It highlights the urgent need for new laws that officially recognise platform workers and guarantee their rights as workers.