VIC GOVERNMENT GIG ECONOMY INQUIRY

Federal Labor welcomes the Victorian Government’s new inquiry into the gig economy workforce, but it is a reminder of the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison Government’s absolute failure to deal with the changing nature of work.

When it comes to the future of work and its implications on Australian businesses, workers and the economy, the Liberals have vacated the field.

They have no plan to deal with the rapid growth and impact of the gig economy on increasingly casualised and precarious work.

There have been a number of examples of underpayment and exploitation of workers employed in the gig economy as contractors when they clearly are employees.

Such sham independent contracting denies workers employer contributions to superannuation and entitlements such as sick leave and holiday pay, while making them pay for their own workers compensation insurance.

 

Morrison and his Liberals have completely failed to act.

 

In contrast, Federal Labor took a policy to the last election to clamp down on sham independent contracting. A Shorten Labor Government will amend the law to prevent employers forcing their workers into sham contracting arrangements to avoid direct employment.  

 

Last year Labor established a federal Senate Select Committee inquiry into the future of work.  That Committee handed down its report last week – unlike the Liberals, who have refused to engage at all with the challenges of the future of work, Labor will consider the Committee’s recommendations.

 

Under the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison Government, we are headed towards a low paid, easy to hire, easy to fire society, which is impacting job security and income distribution.

 

While there are undoubtedly benefits to the gig economy and new forms of work organisation, if a business model can only succeed on the basis of undermining workers’ rights and avoiding workers entitlements, that is not a model Labor supports.

 

As shown by the Victorian Government’s announcement, it is only Labor that will stand up for Australian workers.