Burnham urged to target gig firms over bogus self-employment for 4 million workers

The Fabian Society and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation have released a report urging Mayor Andy Burnham to protect roughly 4 million gig economy workers who are classified as self-employed. The report says many lack statutory entitlements like parental leave, redundancy pay and unfair-dismissal protection. It calls on the Fair Work Agency, launched in April, to use its civil-proceeding powers to prosecute firms that engage in widespread bogus self-employment.

The authors also propose moving the onus of proving employment status onto employers and advancing changes to employment law to create a single “worker” category. Labour’s earlier pledge to introduce such a status was dropped before the 2024 election, and the new plan has not yet been consulted. A government spokesperson said the Fair Work Agency is already helping workers secure rights and that consultations on employment status will continue.