North-South Initiative said it has supported members of Gabungan E-Hailing Malaysia for the past two years in documenting their challenges and recommendations to the government.
“As gig workers face significant insecurity and risk in their jobs, it is vital that the lawmakers give their full support and pass the bill during the current parliamentary session,” its executive director and co-founder, Adrian Pereira, said in a statement.
He said the bill has been delayed on at least three occasions since last year, leaving gig workers without essential protection.
“It is now critical that the bill is passed immediately to put an end to the prolonged suffering and risks faced by gig workers in Malaysia,” he said.
The bill, tabled for its first reading in the Dewan Rakyat today, seeks to safeguard gig workers’ rights by regulating service agreements with contracting entities, outlining their duties, and introducing mechanisms for dispute resolution.
It also proposes the establishment of a consultative council and a gig workers’ tribunal to oversee related matters.
North-South Initiative’s advocacy of the bill is in response to calls to delay it yet again, echoed today by MY Mobility Vision, which urged the government to delay its second and third readings.
In a statement, MY Mobility Vision warned that pushing the bill through could end up harming the very workers it was meant to protect.
It criticised the bill’s broad definition of gig work, which groups e-hailing drivers, delivery riders, freelancers and caregivers under the same category, and said a one-size-fits-all approach could lead to confusion in enforcement.
However, North-South Initiative defended the bill and the government’s consultation process, saying the human resources ministry has been organising roadshows and consultations since last year, listening to the voices of thousands of gig workers and various platform operators.
“As per (our) experience of policy-making and advocacy over the past 15 years, we can affirm that there has never been a law tabled in Malaysia with such transparency and participatory engagement as this Gig Workers Bill.
“Any allegations of insufficient consultations are malicious and untrue,” Pereira said.
He said the bill’s contents provide a fair and equitable framework for all stakeholders under the International Labour Organization’s Decent Work Agenda, which stipulates the right to work, rights at work, promotion of social dialogue, and extending social protection as requirements.
The bill’s second reading is expected to take place during the current meeting, which runs until Aug 28.
It covers various sectors, including actors, film crew, singers, musicians, composers, lyricists, make-up artists, hair stylists, stylists, interpreters, translators, transcribers, journalists and stringers; caregivers in prenatal, postnatal, elderly and rehabilitation care; as well as photographers and videographers.