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Union to take legal action on behalf of gig economy workers affected by coronavirus
The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain has threatened legal action against the government, challenging its provisions for gig economy and low paid workers during the coronavirus outbreak.
Law firm Leigh Day, who are representing the union, sent a letter before action to HM Treasury yesterday challenging the current provisions relating to statutory sick pay and the job retention scheme. In the letter the union argues that the provisions are unlawful because they disproportionately affect those in BAME communities and women, they breach the European Convention of Human Rights and they are in breach of the Public Sector Equality Duty.
My first reaction was that their demands have been met with the bill introduced this afternoon. But my second is that i don’t know how the three year average will pan out - what will self-employed workers whose work has dried up be entitled to if they have not done the job for 3 years? A basic claim for UC?
I don’t think the bill includes this unfortunately.