Workers are not sole traders: Let’s put rights before revenue

The Government is to launch a public awareness campaign on bogus self-employment, amid concerns about the rise in employees deprived of entitlements by being forced to work as sole traders.

The campaign was announced by Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty, and follows last January’s Report on Intermediary Structures and Self-Employment Arrangements.

Any campaign of public information on the rights of workers is welcome, but, given that this concerns such a fundamental part of employment law, it is a weak and mealy-mouthed response to a serious social issue.

In the first instance, it depends far too much on vulnerable workers asserting their rights, while offering little to ensure that employers do not exploit their staff.

It also betrays a wrong-headed approach by the Government.

At the report’s launch, in January, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe, concentrated almost exclusively on the loss to the exchequer, stating: “I’m concerned that disguised employment practices make it harder to correctly classify workers for PRSI purposes.”

Workers categorised as self-employed lose out on many entitlements, while employers make huge savings on PRSI and also avoid other employment-law provisions.

The rights of workers were hard won, over the past century.

Those rights must be vindicated and never ignored or taken for granted.