Britain’s growing army of casual workers must be ‘treated like humans’ and given rights and wages boost, report to say
The author of a nine month review of the modern work place hit out at exploitative bosses for treating staff like 'cogs in a machine'
BRITAIN’S growing army of casual workers must be "treated like humans beings" and given a major boost in their rights and wages, a major government report will this week declare.
Matthew Taylor, the author of a nine month review of the modern work place, hit out last night at exploitative bosses who treat staff like “cogs in a machine”.
In an exclusive interview with The Sun, the key former Tony Blair advisor slammed companies like Uber and Deliveroo for taking advantage of causal workers on zero hours contracts.
Mr Taylor said: “We have travelled all round the country, and it has seemed to us that there has been an attempt by some firms to transfer all the risk onto the shoulders of the most vulnerable workers.
“There is clearly an issue with fairness, and we can encourage employers to offer their workers more security.”
Royal Society of Arts head Mr Taylor was appointed by Theresa May last October to also probe today’s tech-driven economy is changing employment practices.
The PM will unveil the Taylor Review in a major speech in which she will relaunch her Premiership tomorrow.
But The Sun can reveal today that he is putting forward more than 50 recommendations, including a raft of major law changes.
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Mr Taylor is expected to recommend;
- Employees should be given the right to request fixed hours or permanent contracts – which bosses can still refuse, but they will have to declare all requests, in a bid to shame them into offering more secure work,
- The Low Pay Commission should look at asking companies to pay workers a higher minimum wage when they refuse to give them guaranteed hours – known as a ‘zero hours surcharge’,
- Sick pay should be given to casual workers as an accrued right, which will see their allowance rise the longer they work work for the company,
- All casual workers must be given a full list of their rights, written in plain English, on day 1 of their new job to stop bosses pulling the wool over their eyes.
Five million Brits are now self-employed and close to one million are on zero-hours contracts.
Hundreds of thousands of them are gig workers, relying on app-based new technology like Uber.
But Mr Taylor will NOT call for an end to zero hours contracts – insisting they are popular with three quarters of people on them as they offer flexibility.
A total ban was a key offer of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s general election campaign.
Also insisting his review will not damage businesses or Britain’s record employment rate, Mr Taylor explained: “There is nothing in the review to worry you if you’re a good employer, and we’ve gone to some lengths to avoid putting additional burdens on businesses.
“What we are concerned about is one way flexibility - people who turn up for work and are told there are no hours, people who can’t get a mortgages because they’ve been on zero hours contracts for years, and who can’t answer back for fear of getting no more work”.
Mr Taylor added: “Our top ambition is for all work to be fair and decent, and people who want to develop their skills to be able to.
“Workers should be treated like human beings, not cogs in a machine.
“Every few years as patterns of work changes, we have to refresh the law to represent that.
“We can do better providing people with satisfaction.”
“The quality of life while at work is a big issue because is matters to our economy.
“People want a sense of purpose, have some autonomy, and be trusted.”
Mr Taylor is also expected to include new rights for casual workers to be able to better their skills and increase their wages.
He will also push for the need to deliver a stronger “worker voice” inside many companies, as too many currently feel powerless.
But in a blow to Philip Hammond, the review won’t recommend a controversial rise in National Insurance Contributions for the self-employed – a move the Chancellor was forced to delay after a U-turn in his botched March budget.
No companies will be named and shamed in the reveiw.
But tech-based giants such as Uber as well as retailer Sports Direct are thought to be forefront in its thinking, after bitter clashes with employees recently.
Last week, Glastonbury music festival also came under heavy criticism for laying off 700 causal workers promised two weeks of litter picking up after just two days.
A survey today reveals millions more Brits would consider gig work - defined as short-term, casual work, typically organised or facilitated via mobile phone apps - if the rights of workers who do it were significantly improved.
At the moment, 77% prefer full time employment.
But the PwC study found two in five would think about going casual if the work was more secure and they were better protected.