New legislation has been introduced that would give app-based gig workers “fundamental rights,” including a $15 minimum wage and transparency.
If passed, the Digital Platform Workers’ Rights Act establish a minimum wage and other foundational rights for digital platform workers who offer rides or deliver food and other items for companies such as Uber and Door Dash.
Figures show as many as one in five Canadians work in the gig economy, a number that is predicted to increase. But provincial officials say these workers can face uncertain working conditions and don’t have the necessary protections.
“No one working in Ontario should ever make less than minimum wage for an hour’s work,” said Local MPP and Minister of Labour Monte McNaughton. “No one working in Ontario should be dismissed without notice, explanation, or recourse. No one should have to travel out of the country to resolve a workplace dispute or sign a contract they do not understand. These core rights are a foundation in our mission to help all workers earn bigger paychecks to take care of their families, not an endpoint.”
Many digital platforms use algorithms to determine when and how quickly workers are given their next delivery or customer. However, most digital platforms do not share this with their workers making it unclear why other workers may pick up more work than them.