Sooner or later, all pandemics are brought to an end. But, until then, they can cause huge damage to society, as COVID-19 is showing day by day. And none are more at risk than non-standard or “precarious” workers – casual workers, independent contractors, all those doing jobs without security of employment and benefits, who generally fall outside the protection of labour law.

If a computer is telling symphony musicians what and when to play, why have a conductor? He or she is only going through the motions while the musicians concentrate on their screens. If this could work with orchestras, what about factories?

More and more workers obtain work through online platforms such as Uber. Can an online platform that links workers and clients be a temporary employment service (TES, or labour broker) for the purposes of labour law?