The UK should end the “cash-in-hand economy” by turning cash workers into “dependent contractors,” a government advisor has said.
In a review into employment practices, Matthew Taylor suggested that changes were needed for the country’s informal economy, worth around £6 bln per year.
The prime minister Theresa May is due to present and comment on the report later today, and will focus on the need for employee “protection,” BBC reports.
"I am clear that this government will act to ensure that the interests of employees on traditional contracts, the self-employed and those people working in the 'gig' economy are all properly protected,” May will say.
Taylor coined the term “dependent contractor” to refer to a similar need for increased protection for cash laborers from employers.
For those skeptical of the plans, however, “dependent” could stand as a byword for the lack of privacy and increased control of private income from central authorities.
"In my view, there is too much work particularly at the bottom end of the labour market that is not of a high enough quality," Taylor told BBC. "There are too many people not having their rights fully respected.
Just last week the UK saw the debut of the Bitcoin wage platform Bitwage, which allows employers to pay all or part of a worker’s pay packet in the virtual currency.