Having waited 27 months for an employment tribunal preliminary hearing for non-payment of holiday pay and worker status, I cannot thank the Resolution Foundation enough for highlighting this and other issues related to precarious employment (Million UK workers not receiving holiday pay, says report, 16 September).
For too long people have perceived the “gig economy” as something limited to apps and transportation, but it extends to carers, fitness workers, football club cleaners and many more. When overseas clothing sweatshops came to the fore several years ago the public turned their backs on cheap clothing that wasn’t responsibly produced; similarly more recently with fair trade food. Perhaps it is time the public started questioning what makes their taxi ride, package delivery, plumber or gym so much cheaper than it was only a few years ago. Perhaps those companies that play by the rules and abide by the law can start fighting unfair competition through a “fair employer” accreditation scheme backed by the government and the sustainable investing industry.
James Hope-Thompson
Liverpool
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