Comments on: Labour must become the champion of self-employed workers

By: Colin Gilbey

Colin Gilbey — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 17:00:00 +0000

In reply to Iain Fletcher. My understanding is that if you are working at the direction/instruction of a person you are technically employed. A lot of self employed working is illegal.

By: Iain Fletcher

Iain Fletcher — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 14:27:00 +0000

I’m self employed as are a few people I know. We all went in on the understanding that the pay is great but holidays and sickness cost. Add in the frankly ridiculous amounts we can claim back on tax and I think we’re generally OK. Though obviously better transport and IT infrastructure would be appreciated.

Something should be done about businesses that force employees to go self employed, sometimes make them take a loan out for example to cover the lease on a van, and treat them like employees.

I’d also agree with more support for microbusinesses, though they’re not the solution to the productivity puzzle. Generally small firms are not any where near as productive as larger, more established ones.

By: lisacat1999

lisacat1999 — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 09:44:00 +0000

I fully agree with this article as far as it goes. However, we need to be clear that those trying to make self employment and small businesses work are very often the victims of large corporations too. For example, the squeeze on high street traders and small suppliers by the big supermarket chains, or rip offs through unfair bank lending. The rip offs by the big energy firms affect us all. The trick Labour missed at the last election was that Miliband’s stance of taking on the vested interests of big businesses was correct, but it should have been used as part of an appeal to small businesses and the self employed too. “Anti big business, pro small business and the self employed” is potentially a winning appeal.

By: Karl Greenall

Karl Greenall — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 20:36:00 +0000

In reply to TN. This view is nonsense. Self employed people, by the nature of their style of working, are not inherently organised. It would be great if Labour took this point on board, but it is too often distracted by Rightwing people pushing their own agenda and advancement, to consider the bigger picture. To a "lefty", a "proper" job is any job that should pay adequately to put food on the table, a roof over the head, and enables one to participate fully in ones society. Too many proper jobs do not fulfil these basic requirements at the moment Grow up !

By: JayUKChelsea

JayUKChelsea — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 16:44:00 +0000

Totally agree, Labour looks like only talking to unionised labour and those on benefits – self-employment is now a choice for most in the modern world of labour and IT – not a case of being forced to do so by evil employers and we are saying nothing about this area which is going to get a larger proportion of the workforce

By: stevep

stevep — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 13:59:00 +0000

If working people want to be self-employed, that`s great, but it`s a hard competitive world out there and many who choose that route do so out of necessity, not choice.
I suspect most of us would choose stable, well-paid employment, if it were available, rather than the uncertainties of self-employment.
Labour and the Left should commit to a society where both options are available, regulated and complementing one another, rather than competing.
Unfettered Capitalism leads to a race to the bottom with only the wealthy benefiting.
Social Democracy should be the way forward.

By: TN

TN — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 11:01:00 +0000

This should have been considered years ago by Labour. It’s mainly the patronising leftie paternalists who automatically assume that eveyy instance of self-employment is some kind of self destructive path, because it doesn’t reconcile with the left’s world view that only unionised jobs are proper jobs.