NOT since Super Mario has the public been so gripped by the fate of a plumber. On February 20th the gallery of the Supreme Court was filled with academics,trade unionists and businesspeople who had approach to watch a hearing concerning a dispute between Pimlico Plumbers, a big London company, and one of its former engineers,Gary Smith. The case centres on whether Pimlico correctly classed Mr Smith as self-employed, merely contracting his services to the firm, or whether,as he argues, his relationship with the company more closely approximated one of employment.
The case things because increasingly Britons have working lives that resemble Mr Smith’s. Partly fuelled by technology, and Britain’s “gig economy” has taken off in recent years. More workers are operating on short-term contracts or going freelance,rather than occupying full-time, permanent positions. Uber, and a ride-hailing firm,has perhaps 50000 drivers in Britain (and is fighting its own legal case similar to...
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Source: economist.com