By: Guardian
May 17, 2021
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.
Charles Counsell, the chief executive of the Pensions Regulator, said the government-backed body was already working closely with Uber on a workplace scheme after a supreme court ruling found the ride-hailing group’s private-hire drivers should be classed as workers, with rights to minimum hourly pay, holiday pay and a pension.
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.