Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Anti-Austerity Alliance) | Oireachtas source

The new buzz term "the gig economy" is used to described this phenomenon which is increasingly prevalent. In reality, it is nothing new. It is a revival of 19th century-style piecework. The Minister's response that those concerned should report these injustices to the labour inspectorate does not take account of what is happening in Deliveroo in which the majority of workers are migrants. Some may even be in the country illegally. Going to the authorities to sort out this blatant exploitation would be very difficult for them. The Uber ruling and the victory of Deliveroo staff in Britain who recently fought for their rights should give encouragement to workers here to organise and fight for direct employment. However, this does not let the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation off the hook. What proactive steps does the Minister intend to take to combat this form of worker exploitation which is increasingly prevalent?

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