Think tank Demos has called for the next government to introduce a national minimum wage for self-employed workers.
The policy is part of a new report, ‘The Liquidity Trap’, which defines the ‘liquid workforce’ as anyone who is self-employed, freelancing, working in the gig economy or on zero-hours contracts. It also covers people who work a number of different jobs.
The report argues that introducing the minimum wage will help to improve financial security for the liquid workforce. It also advocates improved financial services for flexible workers and more support with managing finances.
The research was compiled by collecting responses from 2,000 workers of 18 years of age and above.
A spokesman for The Workers Union said: “We have been petitioning the government to deal with the issues highlighted in this excellent report for some time. The pay and conditions of people working in this sector of our economy are a national disgrace and something that the whole political class should be utterly committed to tackling. The headline stats make grim reading, with 90 percent of the self-employed people polled worrying about money, while those on zero-hours contracts are more than twice as likely to feel anxious about finances than contracted employees. Workers in ‘gig jobs’ or flexible employment are no less valuable to society than anyone else who is trying to make a living and it’s about time that this was acknowledged by policy-makers and companies whose top brass often make obscene amounts of money off the back of honest labour.”
If you’re part of the gig economy and you’re looking for a modern, dynamic union to represent you, then take a look at The Workers Union. We’re campaigning to improve the pay and conditions of people like you every day. We believe the glass is always half full so head over to our why join page for more information or click here to jump right in straight away.
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