
London bike courier wins ‘gig economy’ legal battle - davidgerard
https://www.ft.com/content/fff3a320-d43b-11e6-b06b-680c49b4b4c0
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gregatragenet3
People who sue gig economy companies like this ruin it for everyone else. Some
people want to have a relationship with their employers where the set their
own hours, work one week and not the next, or just work a few hours a week.
When gig companies get pushed into being traditional employers through legal
action the have to convert to having traditional labor practices. Fixed number
of hours a week, setting their employee's schedule etc. If someone doesn't
like the arrangement with a gig company, then don't work there! Don't take the
job then sue to ruin the arrangement for everyone else.

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walrus1066
What if the person has no choice but to work in insecure employment? And you
have a family to support? In the UK life is pretty bleak for the unskilled or
the unlucky. Your job options are either a zero hours contract, or you go gig.
In both cases you have zero security, get screwed if you have an accident, and
likely earn below subsistence. This is why there are so many food banks in the
UK. Gig and zero hours are exploitation of desperate people. I have seen so
many deliveroo riders in London having accidents, knowing they won't get sick
pay, it's quite frankly disgusting.

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walrus1066
Respect to the woman bringing the case forwards. I can't imagine how tough
life is working for these companies, at minimum wage or below, in dangerous
conditions. She must have been working insane hours just to get by, and to be
involved in a complex court case on top of it.

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tinus_hn
I get a paywall for this article. Is there a workaround for this site?

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walrus1066
Think you can get 10 free articles per month if you sign up. FT has always had
a paywall, very good newspaper.

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gregatragenet3
You can use the 'web' link in the comments to drill into the article via
Google search results.

