New laws coming in 2023 that probably made the 'gig' part more like 'casual worker' which means they pay extra per hour worked, minimum 3 hours paid per 'shift/callout'.
> “A delivery rider on a bike who is at the mercy of an algorithm on their phone is not the same as a genuinely empowered contractor who runs their own small business,”
Most companies will settle on the lowest level of worker compensation, benefits, security & support that they can get away with. Worker choice is an illusion when most jobs reach these low levels and it is up to governments to raise the level. While the loss of these bad jobs is a short term pain to those affected, the long term effects of working bad jobs is much worse. People aren't working there because they love the low pay, inconsistent hours and lack of security, they're working there because better options aren't available. It is the responsibility of governments to ensure companies provide jobs that pay a livable wage and reasonable benefits.
We have a social safety net and a hot job market, there will be other better employers available.
Generally, if a job market is hot, it means employers are incentivized to not be jerks and try to lure workers to them with perks, thereby giving plenty of alternatives to those who feel exploited.
And given a social safety net, wouldn’t one not feel “stuck” in said job as a necessity to live?
If someone still chooses something “exploitative”, then perhaps there is a benefit to that job that makes it worth while in a way that regulators (and others privileged enough not work said job) don’t see themselves.
Some kind of Co-op arrangement where delivery drivers band together and offer a platform that companies can subscribe too could also work (assuming a simple enough backend system).