SIGNIFICANT omissions in Labour’s New Deal For Working People suggest that the government has “permanently postponed” plans to help gig-economy workers, a leading think tank has warned.

The Autonomy Institute said the party’s decision to drop a commitment to introduce a single “worker” status during the current parliament “could mean that the pledge has been kicked into the long grass or, worse, permanently postponed.”

Gig-economy workers are widely considered to be in bogus self-employment, as to all intents and purposes they serve as employees, although contracting companies refer to them as self-employed to avoid the cost of National Insurance contributions and rights such as paid holidays.