The Labour movement stands in solidarity with the Foodora bike and car couriers who today announced their plans to unionize.
The precarious and dangerous conditions faced by these workers cannot be overstated.
The company controls their work and pays low wages, while classifying these workers as ‘independent contractors’ in order to avoid the obligations of being an employer.
The Government of Ontario has removed decent work laws, and refused to create the conditions that would prevent the ongoing misclassification of employees as ‘independent contractors’ by app-based businesses.
I applaud these workers for taking collective action to improve their working conditions and the conditions of all workers. Employers like Foodora must stop skirting their responsibility to their workers, while profiting from a workforce that is simply trying to survive.
Governments have failed to stop the growth of precarious work in Ontario and nationwide. This International Workers’ Day, I encourage everyone to support these workers as they fight against precarious work.
In Solidarity,
Chris Buckley
