KUALA LUMPUR – There is a need for a bill to uphold the rights and livelihood of gig workers, said Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal.
He said there is a lack of provisions for this under existing labour laws.
“Oftentimes, the issue is of gig workers being confused between being a contractor and a worker,” he told Bernama’s Ruang Bicara programme last night.
“We will need to refine this in terms of the law, so that those who are in this sector are not exploited by sponsor companies.”
He added that he will discuss the matter with fellow MPs.
Wan Fayhsal said getting feedback from industry players and those in power will be a challenge due to the sector’s evolving nature.
On the government’s incomplete database of vulnerable groups, among them youth, eligible for targeted assistance in the sector, he said this must be undertaken in collaboration with private firms.
He said Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz recently expressed concern that despite the government’s allocation to help gig workers through PenjanaGig, only 7%, or 21,000 of the sector’s 400,000 e-hailing riders and drivers, have registered for it. – Bernama, November 13, 2020
