Workers for online operators like Deliveroo and Uber are in line for sweeping new rights and protections within the EU after ministers met in Luxembourg to thrash out proposals. The resulting agreement on proposed rights for platform workers that have huge implications for the gig economy and put pressure on the UK to follow suit.
Using apps on our phones to purchase goods and services has become second nature for many of us – particularly on the back of the COVID lockdowns. Working in the gig economy is another story, however. It does offer workers flexibility in terms of when and how much they work, but variations in the amount of work available can make it difficult to earn a steady wage.
It can also be dehumanising having your working day organised and monitored by algorithms. And workers are often categorised by these online platforms as self-employed rather than employees. This has implications for things like sick pay, holiday pay, trade union rights and health and safety protections.
