The head of the UK’s pension regulator has called on gig economy companies to recognise the employment rights of those who work for them and set up workplace pensions. At present, most couriers for companies operating in the gig economy, including Deliveroo and Uber’s food courier business, UberEats, as well as most of Just Eat’s couriers in the UK, are classed as self-employed contractors without key workplace benefits including a pension. After the supreme court ruling, Uber agreed that its 70,000 UK private-hire drivers would be recognised as workers with minimum hourly pay and a pension. “Others like Deliveroo ought to be doing the same.”He said that gig workers would see “significant benefits” from a change to worker status. The ruling must be enforced immediately and be applied across the gig economy,” he said.

Source: The Guardian May 17, 2021 17:26 UTC