EU Platform Work Directive Receives Parliamentary Support
The European Parliament’s Employment and Social Affairs Committee overwhelmingly gave its backing to the EU Platform Work Directive agreement last week. Out of 40 MEPs on the committee, 37 voted in favour, three against. This now paves the way for ratification by the whole of the European Parliament next month. Why is it controversial? The […]
EU Platform Work Directive IS Going Ahead
After several years of back and forth, a provisional agreement has finally been reached meaning that the EU Platform Workers Directive will now be going ahead. The purpose of the directive has always been to protect workers from being exploited by platforms, with employment status being a key feature of the legislation. Presumption of employee […]
Bitter Blow For Gig Workers As EU Legislation Blocked
The much-debated and long-anticipated EU Platform Work Directive has been blocked due to member states either abstaining or refusing to support the latest version. The vote last week was already a last ditch attempt following years of negotiations. What is the issue? The proposals have been controversial from the outset, particularly in relation to the […]
Side Hustle Tax Is NOT New!
There has been a fair bit of chatter online about a new side hustle tax that came in from 1 January 2024, but in fact this is NOT a new tax at all. All that has changed is that online marketplaces (such as Amazon, Airbnb, Deliveroo, eBay, Etsy and Uber) must now report directly to HMRC […]
Deliveroo Win Court Case – Their Riders Are NOT ‘Employees’
In a bitter blow for gig economy workers, the Supreme Court has ruled that riders for Deliveroo do not have an employment relationship with the food giant, and therefore the riders cannot be represented by a trade union. The case was brought after IWGB tried to negotiate pay and conditions with Deliveroo, but were refused in […]
Underage Children Working For Food Delivery Apps
A BBC investigation has discovered child labour working for food delivery apps in the gig economy, yet the businesses they work for seem powerless to intervene. This is because app riders are ‘self-employed’ and they can substitute someone else to do the work – which encourages a trade in online accounts, including to children. How has […]
Gig Workers Take Back Control To Combat Bias Algorithms
Cleaners, couriers and cabbies from around the world are taking control of their work by creating new apps without the bias they face from some traditional gig platforms. In South Africa a group of female domestic workers have helped develop We Care, a platform that links women and work by geographic location which saves them […]
Taxi Drivers Urged To Join Fight For Fair Pay Against Uber Rival Veezu
Up to 12,500 taxi drivers working for the taxi operator Veezu could be entitled to thousands of pounds in compensation after being denied holiday pay and the National Minimum Wage. Veezu currently treats its drivers as self-employed contractors, but drivers claim they should be treated as workers and given the appropriate workers’ rights and protection under […]
Not All Gig Economy Workers Want To Be Employees!
So says Glen Hodgson who is campaigning against new legislation planned to give gig workers employment rights. His group, Freelance Movement, is demanding that the European Parliament listen to freelancers and respect the voice of those directly impacted by the Platform Work Directive. If the EU Parliament gets its way, Glen and millions of others […]