MLA Adam Walker and local food delivery worker Alex Xie during a discussion about gig economy employment workers at Nanaimo's VIU campus on Thursday, Nov 17. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

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NANAIMO — Engagement sessions ongoing around the province are helping to determine if employment standards are strong enough for the ever-expanding gig economy workforce.

The B.C. Government’s Ministry of Labour organized roundtable events, including sit-downs in Nanaimo and Parksville on Thursday, Nov. 17 to hear from people working in the business, including food delivery workers.

Parliamentary Secretary for the New Economy and Parksville-Qualicum MLA Adam Walker is leading the engagement sessions, which he said involves employers, workers and industry advocates evaluating the business practices of an industry employing tens of thousands of British Columbians.

“Concerns were raised today about the potential of being injured on the job and not having protections in place for a loss of income, but also many medical expenses that come from that injury,” Walker told NanaimoNewsNOW.

He added complaints from gig workers not making minimum wage have been outlined numerous times during this process.

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Workers being deactivated from their platforms with no recourse is another concern Walker said he has heard raised multiple times.

An online survey is coming shortly to complement what officials are hearing in-person.

“We want to make sure that we capture that all in one process that makes sense; that could require legislation, it could be a regulatory change, or maybe there’s nothing that’s needed at all.”

A report is due next year for government consideration.

During the discussion Walker said some gig economy workers don’t appear to be aware of their employment rights and may not realize if they’re potentially being taken advantage of.

A pair of Nanaimo based delivery drivers employed by online app platforms spoke with Walker and members of his staff at VIU’s Student’s Union building on Thursday.

Alex Xie, a VIU student employed by Skip the Dishes since March, attended the Nanaimo gathering.

His primary concern is his salary, pointing to rising gas prices dwindling his earnings from about $21 an hour to his current rate of about $15.

“My income in Nanaimo is lower than the minimum wage, but on Saturday and Sunday is higher, that’s the situation now,” Xie told NanaimoNewsNOW, who noted he appreciates the flexibility delivering food provides.

Gig work, considered to be work outside of a standard employee-employer relationship, provides jobs for an estimated 1.7 million Canadians as of 2020, according to Statistics Canada.

The sector has grown considerably in the Nanaimo area in recent years, with numerous online/app based platforms coordinating the delivery of food, groceries and most recently ride-hailing.

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ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes