Committee to hear bid to upgrade status for gig-economy workers ‘torpedoed’

Last month, on St Valentine’s Day, workers across several food delivery platforms withdrew their services on one of the busiest nights of the year for the hospitality sector in protest at pay and working conditions. File picture: Larry Cummins

Workers in the gig economy will “continue to be forced into bogus self-employment" after some countries “torpedoed” the chance for a breakthrough at European level to protect their rights, an Oireachtas committee will hear on Wednesday.

Furthermore, there are still some cases where platform workers in Ireland aren’t allowed access to toilets in restaurants which “clearly violates workers’ right to dignity”, a trade union will tell TDs and Senators.

The Enterprise Committee will hear representatives from Siptu, Social Justice Ireland, and Eurofound to discuss issues around platform work in Ireland. Platform work, also referred to as the gig economy, refers to the kind of work done by those working for platforms such as Deliveroo, JustEat, or Uber.

They are usually classed as self-employed and not entitled to the minimum wage, along with protections under the law that employed workers have.

Last month, on St Valentine’s Day, workers across several food delivery platforms withdrew their services on one of the busiest nights of the year for the hospitality sector in protest at pay and working conditions.

Efforts have been ongoing at a European level for unified action and support for such platform workers. In 2022, there were an estimated 28 million platform workers in the EU and this is expected to rise to 45 million next year.

Just before Christmas, no majority could be reached on the European Commission’s Platform Work Directive Deal, which would have seen all workers presumed to be employees once they fulfilled a specific set of criteria, or tests.

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While the Opposition was critical of the Government for “failing” some of the most precarious workers in the State, it has rejected claims it sought to water down the proposals.

Siptu will tell the committee: “Bogus self-employment in Platform Work must be contested. It is time that platforms take the responsibilities that they have avoided for so long. The reversal of burden of proof must accompany the presumption of employment status.” 

The trade union said correct classification will give workers social protection, a fair hourly wage, and other labour rights that have been denied to them.

Social Justice Ireland, meanwhile, will urge the Government to step in and adopt policies to support those in precarious employment. “Now is the time to adopt substantial measures to address and eliminate these problems,” it will say.