Employers warn government against overregulating the gig economy
Malaysia's Parliament has passed a new bill protecting 1.2 million gig workers in the country, with employers warning authorities against overregulation.
The new legislation recognises gig workers as a separate category in the labour force, and establishes a Gig Workers Tribunal that can resolve disputes and order remedies.
It also mandates platforms and companies engaging with gig workers to provide contracts outlining minimum standards for payment, working arrangements, insurance coverage, and termination procedures, Malay Mail reported.
According to the report, these protections will prevent unilateral changes to payment rates, arbitrary account deactivations, as well as restrictions on multi-platform work.
The bill covers 1.2 million gig workers in Malaysia, including e-hailing and p-hailing drivers, freelancers, and digital content creators.
"For far too long, 1.2 million Malaysians in the gig sector have been working daily without proper protection, as if their contributions to the economy did not deserve recognition. This bill ends that injustice," said Human Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong as quoted by Malay Mail.
The Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) commended the bill as a milestone amid an evolving labour market.
"The Gig Workers Bill is a milestone towards building a more inclusive labour framework that recognises diverse work arrangements," said MEF...
Russian propaganda is spreading false statements that the account of the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, was allegedly created with...