VANCOUVER, BC; unceded territories - The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) has released an open letter signed by 61 subject matter experts, including Viveca Ellis, the Centre for Family Equity's executive director, addressing the challenges and risks associated with platform work and calls for comprehensive regulations to protect platform workers' rights and ensure fair competition in the industry.
The open letter calls on the Government of British Columbia to apply consistent and strong labour standards to platform work. It emphasizes the need for a clear test to determine whether platform workers are independent businesses or employees, and if they are found to be employees, they should receive full coverage under minimum wage laws, termination notice requirements, workers' compensation, and other employment standards.
The Centre for Family Equity, which has conducted it's own independent research into the impacts of COVID-19 on low-waged lone mother workers, through the Justice at Work project, joins the call for the government to recognize platform workers' rights to organize unions, engage in collective bargaining, and take collective action to support their demands. While acknowledging the value that digital platforms bring to consumers and workers, the letter emphasizes the necessity of fair employment practices and responsible platform work that benefits all stakeholders.
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