Candidates Back More Rights For Vulnerable Workers

Wellington city parliamentary candidates Ibrahim Omer, Fleur Fitsimons, Julie-Anne Genter and Tamatha Paul expressed their support for contractors’ rights at a packed event at Bedlam and Squalor on Wednesday night.

The event, hosted by Unions Wellington (Council of Trade Unions local affiliate) saw a lively discussion between an Uber driver, film editor and former stripper on the ways independent contractors are exploited in their industries, and what they want the Government to do about it.

Omer, Fitsimons, Genter and Paul all committed to pushing for legislation to address the misclassification of workers like Uber drivers as contractors. The candidates also expressed support for legislation providing minimum entitlements, and the right to collectively bargain, for workers in industries dominated by contracting, such as the sex and film industries.

Candidates from the National Party declined the opportunity to express their positions on this key issue, and the ACT Party did not respond to requests for comment.

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