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 Self-employment is on the rise in our country, especially
among high-injury occupations like construction, agriculture, and
transportation. In fact, self-employment is the second fastest growing
employment demographic in Canada, with approximately 16 per cent of 17 million
workers in Canada freelancing for their income.
The problem is that while self-employment is rising, safety
awareness for this group of Canadians is not.
Health and safety training often happens within the
traditional workplace setting. Safety committees are set up, policies are set
in place and safety training is usually mandatory. But what about the large
group of people—such as the self-employed—who work outside the traditional
workplace where safety measures are not monitored as closely? Shouldn’t Canada
be concerned for its growing self-employment population?
The Ontario Construction Secretariat (OCS) is concerned.
They’ve been studying the rise of self-employment for some time now,
particularly as it relates to the construction industry. Katherine Jacobs,
director of research and analysis with the OCS, states, “According to
Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey, self-employment in Ontario’s
construction industry has increased from 75,000 workers in 1987 to 130,000 in
2006. Not only are we seeing an increasing number of self-employed workers in
construction, but their share of total construction employment is also
increasing. Almost 20 years ago, 25 per cent of the construction workforce were
self-employed. Today, one-third of construction workers declare themselves to
be self-employed.”
Unfortunately, the OCS’s main concern doesn’t go far enough.
Their primary concern is that these construction workers may be self-employed
for nefarious reasons such as income concealment and tax evasion. The OCS does
acknowledge the health and safety deficit among this group when they suggest
that workplace insurance premiums should apply to these workers.
While there is no doubt that public policy and industry should
address the proliferation of non-legitimate businesses that seek to avoid
paying into the public purse, shouldn’t we as a country be more concerned about
whether this group is at greater risk because of their self-employment?
There is a global movement afoot to establish organizations
for self-employed workers, which may, if effective, promote their wellbeing and
promote accountability. Because these workers do not fit into the traditional
“workplace box,” it has become necessary to develop institutions that recognize
the unique nature of self-employment in an attempt to bring traditional
workplace benefits to its doorstep. And many are succeeding.
Take for example a number of the European trade unions that
have started associations for the self-employed. FNV Bondgenoten of the
Netherlands is targeting 15,000 micro-businesses and hopes to have 130,000
workers within 10 years. A Norwegian finance service union has established Rom,
a separate non-profit organization that offers legal advice, training, discounts
on services, as well as mentors who provide one-on-one career advice.
In the U.S., Sarah Horowitz started the Freelancers Union
when she discovered that many self-employed people in New York did not have
access to affordable health care. Her organization now boasts a membership of
more than 15,000.
Canada is beginning to do its part as well. Recently, the
Christian Labour Association of Canada, an independent labour union, launched
the Guild Network, an association that allows self-employed workers to leverage
the services of a union, without actually becoming part of one.
The Guild Network is the first of its
kind in Canada and offers discounted health benefits, employment advice, a job
board, online discussion forum, training, and discounts on services such as tax
preparation and car rentals. It’s motivated by the value of work community — a
community of like-minded people who cherish their independence but who seek the
benefits of togetherness. The hope is that through the building of community,
self-employed people will begin to communicate about the necessity of standards
within their occupational group. The standards may be as simple as health
benefit plans, or it could be standards regarding professionalism, accreditation,
and the safety of its group of workers.
When close to one in six workers is off the health and
safety radar of government and industry, this is cause for concern. As with any
issue, a concerted approach by all interested parties is required to address it
meaningfully— government, industry, workers, and unions have a role to play.
In Canada, the Guild Network is doing its part to encourage
freelancers in all sectors to come together and reap the benefits of their
large numbers in the hope that it can help address issues that affect this
group, including their health and safety.
Chris Bosch is a field researcher with the Christian Labour
Association of Canada, an independent, multi-sector trade union.
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