Report: The minimum required?
Key findings:
- A minimum wage would not be appropriate for the majority of the self-employed. However, for those who do not have control over the price they charge, a minimum wage would reduce exploitatively low pay.
- Existing legislation on 'piece work' could provide a useful template to ensure a person working at an average pace could be expected to earn at least the minimum wage.
- Other issues such as greater enforcement of employment law and closing the gap in the tax and benefit treatment of the self-employed and employees, needs to be tackled.
- Ensuring firms using self-employed labour set fair rates will help to provide better quality self-employment.
The report outlines several recommendations to help protect self-employed workers from exploitation.