Tuesday newspaper round-up: Gig economy workers, furlough scheme, Bain Capital
Workers in the gig economy are being exposed to coronavirus infection because the government is failing to enforce EU safety at work regulations, a union has said. The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) has written to the Department for Work and Pensions threatening legal action if the duty of care is not extended to include those who are not employees. – Guardian
The chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has been urged to extend the coronavirus wage subsidy scheme until September to avoid spiralling job losses across Britain this summer. Against a backdrop of mounting pressure on the government to provide continued support as lockdown measures are gradually removed, the Resolution Foundation said the extension would cost the exchequer as much as £48bn but would prevent a fresh surge in unemployment. – Guardian
Furloughed staff who go back to work part-time may have their wages subsidised by the taxpayer as ministers battle to prevent as many as 1.2m redundancies when the economy reopens. Chancellor Rishi Sunak is under pressure to set out plans to extend the taxpayer-backed furlough scheme and make it more flexible amid bleak forecasts suggesting that many workers hoping to head back in will be laid off due to the economic downturn. – Telegraph
Households struggling through the lockdown are spending an extra £247m a week on home comforts such as alcohol, gaming and hobbies, according to new research. The change in spending habits – equivalent to £12.9bn a year – is detailed in an Isolation Economy report authored by insurer Legal & General and the Centre for Economics and Business Research think tank. – Telegraph
The American private equity firm Bain Capital is in line for a dividend payment worth almost £15 million from a car parts maker it controls despite the company furloughing staff and agreeing pay cuts with other employees. TI Fluid Systems announced yesterday that it planned to press ahead with a £27 million, or 5.2p-a-share, dividend payment to its shareholders this month even though it has been caught in the turmoil caused by the Covid-19 crisis. – The Times