PETALING JAYA: The government must create a task force to study labour laws to accommodate new industries, new work trends and flexible work-life balance, said lawyer Mohamed Haniff Khatri Abdulla.
“We must study labour laws from all angles so that no one is left behind,” he told theSun when commenting on the recent protest by Grab delivery riders who claimed that the company offered unfair compensation and incentives, which forced them to go on a strike.
Delivery riders are part of the emerging gig industry where individuals work flexible hours and at their own pace to complete specific tasks, such as making deliveries, cleaning houses and offices or even offering services such as freelance writing and makeup – all usually involving the use of an app to make bookings.
Gig work attracts millennials who prefer not to be tied down to set working hours and fixed salaries. They prefer the flexible hours and income offered by gigs.
Haniff said this trend calls for new labour laws that accommodate the requirements of gig workers.
A 28-year-old Grab rider, who wanted to be known as Ashraf, said gig workers must understand that they are doing part-time jobs, and should not expect any employer to treat them the way full-time employees are treated.
“If you don’t like the terms or payment offered by a certain company, then you can always look for a different one, but we cannot expect the company to bend to our demands.”
Ashraf said gig workers are free to choose and manage their time based on what suits them best.
“For me, I have a personal target of how much I want to earn per day, and I do several gigs daily to achieve my target. If I exceed it on any day, I consider the additional income as a bonus.”
Another gig worker, who wanted to be known as Syahirah, 24, expressed anger at the Grab riders’ protest earlier this month, saying it only caused more problems for them.
“The government cannot interfere in a company’s policy, but it (the government) can change its own policies. And this is exactly what happened,” she said, referring to Transport Minister Datuk Sri Dr Wee Ka Siong’s announcement that Act 333 of the Road Transport Act would be amended to regulate the p-hailing industry, which is what delivery riders come under.
Last week, Wee announced that gig riders will soon need to be registered and obtain licences as part of changes to build a database to regulate the industry.
He, however, denied reports that claimed delivery riders needed to obtain the Goods Driving Licence or have their motorcycles inspected by Puspakom.
“We have yet to decide when the registration and licensing process will take place, but the goal is to ensure riders are regulated and that we have a complete database of all riders in the country without unduly burdening them.
“There will be no vehicle inspection as such and riders will not go through such processes. That is not true and won’t be necessary since many are doing it part-time.”
