Tom Gibson, Leeds and West Yorkshire Socialist Party
Low-paid retail workers at YoungOnes, a firm supplying workers to high street shops, have to pay a fee to access their wages ‘early’. 4.8% to receive the wage instantly, 2.9% within three days, or wait 30 days. Exposed in a report in the Guardian, this is charging people money to gain the fruits of their labour in low-paid jobs, making it all the more severe. It is another example of the reality of the gig economy – temporary low-paid jobs in which employers can exploit workers more easily.
The piece also highlighted the culture of fear, with employees scared that the lack of regulation means they face the prospect of losing their jobs if they ask for a fairer wage. The way the gig economy is set up means workers, often youth and immigrants, are ripped off.
Trade unions, particularly those that organise retail workers, must take up the fight against this barbaric capitalist exploitation. This would include recruiting members and being prepared to strike against companies which undertake this practice. Many workers will face similar injustices in precarious and low-paid jobs in which unions could unite together to fight for terms and conditions and pay workers can live on.
