But the Independent Workers’ union of Great Britain (IWGB), says their members have been overlooked.
It represents some gig economy workers, such as Uber and Deliveroo drivers, who aren’t explicitly mentioned in the new bill.
Because they are seen as self-employed, they aren’t entitled to benefits such as holiday and sick pay.
General secretary Henry Chango Lopez says this makes them “some of the most precarious and exploited in society, lacking the most basic rights and remaining unsupported by legislation”.
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) estimates more than 4m people in England and Wales work in the gig economy.
So it’s been carefully worded to include the 1m people on zero hours contracts but not the 4m in the gig economy, although I can’t figure out there’s much of a difference.
Labour had a separate commitment to redefining the categories of self-employed and employee in their “New Deal for Workers”.
That carefully wording amounts to.
“Employee”
Its more a lack of extra rules for contract then an employment rule.
The gov has plans to address both. In other laws. But I expect it to amount to a restriction on when a workers can be considered self employed rather then an employee.
Takes a bit more planning then the zero hour contract thing.
Well at least it helps a lot of people.
But people who want to opt in to zero-hours contracts because of the flexibility they offer can still do so.
This seems like the best way of doing things, because if there’s people who want to be on a zero-hours contract they shouldn’t be banned from doing so.
If people can opt in then they will be pressured into opting in.
How do you define opt in. Cos I garrentee you if the company wants 0 hour employees those that don’t opt in don’t get a job.