Honourable senators, I rise today to support Senator Lankin’s motion to authorize the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology to study the future of workers.

I believe that the subject should be studied in depth in committee, not because it is a new phenomenon, but because the precarious nature of work, in the context of the significant growth of the gig economy, gives rise to important questions. The context of work is constantly evolving, and it is imperative that we study the changes that are happening so we can adjust our acts and regulations accordingly.

Many of my colleagues have eloquently explained why it is important to conduct a Senate study on the gig economy and precarious work, so I will not take any additional time to address the necessity and merit of carrying out such a study. However, I would like to highlight two related points that I believe should be considered by committee members as part of this study. The first involves the heterogeneous nature of the gig economy, and the second has to do with the legal classification of workers.

Before I continue, I would like to clarify one thing: it is important to distinguish between precarious work and the gig economy. These two concepts are not synonymous or interchangeable. Jobs can be precarious in a number of sectors; insecurity is not unique to the gig economy. Precarious work is also present in classic employment settings.

Paragraph (c) of the motion seeks to study the negative effects of precarious work and the gig economy on benefits, pensions and other government services relating to employment. In studying this very important aspect, I would like the committee to also take a look at the benefits that some self-employed workers could earn. Some workers are able to earn income because of the freedoms afforded by the legal status of being self-employed. They cannot, or are unwilling to, join the workforce in the classic sense, for a variety of reasons.

For some, this lifestyle is a choice that allows them to find an ideal work-life balance that lets them earn an income suited to their needs. This distinction between precarious work and the gig economy should therefore be part of the analysis of the committee’s study.

However, there is certainly a part of the gig economy that constitutes precarious work and it should, of course, be considered by the committee. The real concern is when individuals have no choice but to turn to precarious work, whether in the gig economy or in a classic employment setting. The concept of choice is important, and the underlying reasons for having no choice should be considered during the committee’s study.

It is therefore important, as part of this study, to take into consideration the heterogeneity of the gig economy and to pay particular attention to precarious work in all work environments. For example, is precarious work more or less present in rural environments, and to what extent? What role does this economy play in remote areas compared to urban centres? How does it affect official language minority communities, Indigenous people and other minorities?

The second point I want to raise and that is worthy of being studied in committee has to do with the legal classification of workers. There are a number of cases in which the classification of workers may not be appropriate. A number of workers in the gig economy are legally considered self-employed workers, even though their job is actually closer to that of a traditional employer-employee relationship. Companies benefit in many ways by classifying these workers as self-employed workers instead of employees, but the workers lose out on basic rights and legal protections. The laws and regulations will have to be adjusted to reflect this new reality, and the committee’s study will help better identify these legal loopholes that allow some businesses to take advantage of workers. Employment laws and regulations must serve to create equitable employer-employee relationships. That is essential.

There’s no doubt that the pandemic has made workers and the gig economy more precarious. This study was relevant before the pandemic, but it is even more essential now to ensure an equitable economic recovery for Canadian workers. We must take this opportunity to give these workers a promising and prosperous future. Esteemed colleagues, I urge you to vote in favour of this motion.

Thank you for your attention.