Media Release

15 February 2019

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NSW Labor Leader, Michael Daley, has today recommitted to ensuring gig economy workers have minimum pay and safe working conditions.

Gig economy workers include people who work through networks or platforms such as Uber, Menulog or Air Tasker.

Currently, these workers don’t have the legal protections that other NSW workers enjoy, which means they miss out on sick leave, superannuation and holiday pay.

Standing alongside gig economy workers today, Mr Daley and Shadow Industrial Relations Minister, Adam Searle, recommitted to modernising the Industrial Relations Act to:

• Empower the Industrial Relations Commission to make orders providing gig workers with minimum rates of pay and the same entitlements to superannuation, annual holidays, sick leave, workers’ compensation and all benefits that employees are legally entitled to;
• Define the ‘platforms’ or ‘networks’ through which this type of work is provided; and
• Define who is a ‘gig worker’

Mr Daley said: “A growing number of people are working in arrangements where they don’t get these benefits of fair pay, holidays and sick pay.

“A Government led by me will make sure gig workers have the same protections and conditions of other employees in NSW.”

Mr Searle said: “Under Labor’s plan, there will be a fast and inexpensive mechanism to resolve disputes around pay and conditions for gig workers.

“Labor will put in place laws that protect workers immediately, and which is flexible for any forms of work that emerge in the future.”

Labor will also ensure gig workers are legally entitled to workers’ compensation when injured and that the company using their services pay their fair share in insurance premiums.

The laws will be similar to a measure Labor created and put into s20 of the Entertainment Industry Act 2013 for musicians and others performers – the original ‘gig’ workers.