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Fairwork’s Scorecard for the UK 2019 General Election is out: See how each party would support gig workers
This election, know where the parties stand on the struggles facing an estimated 2.8 million gig workers in the UK.
Gig work, from ridesharing, delivery driving, cleaning and caring, to online freelancing, seems to be the future of work. It offers workers better flexibility and more independence.
But that flexibility has come at a price. Managers push risk onto gig workers, who are not given the rights and protections of regular employees – like pensions, sick leave, and holiday pay.
Many gig workers are classified as self-employed. But they still depend on the gig platform for their livelihood. Zero-hours contracts and the threat of deactivation mean work is never guaranteed.
If a worker is injured, or their equipment damaged, they face loss of income, debt, and poverty.
But there are many things our government can do to help gig workers get a better deal. They can ensure all workers are paid a living wage. They can put an end to zero-hours contracts, they can make sure gig workers get things like sick leave, holiday pay and pensions. These changes are possible and within reach.
The gig economy in the UK is growing fast. We’ve made this scorecard for voters who care about security and dignity for gig workers. The future of work is in our hands!
An accessible version of the scorecard is also available for users with screen-readers.
The Fairwork Foundation is shining a light on positive and negative employment practices in the gig economy. We use five principles of fairness: fair pay, fair conditions, fair contracts, fair management, and fair representation, to push companies and policy-makers to improve standards of work around the world. You can read more about our findings here.
We would love to hear your thoughts on the scorecard, or on our broader work – if you’d like to get in touch, head over to our Contact page, or email us.
Join the conversation – share this scorecard on Twitter or Facebook by tagging us (@TowardsFairWork) and using the hashtag #FairworkScorecardGE19!
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Note: This scorecard is the result of an independent assessment conducted by the Fairwork Foundation, a non-partisan research project based at the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford. As part of this assessment, we compared the manifestos of parties polling over 1% on average on the BBC’s General Election Poll Tracker (as at 26 November), and additionally contacted and invited them to give updated positions on each policy. We do not promote or oppose political parties,