Director’s anger at ‘gig economy’

TV TIRADE BY LOACH

FILMMAKER Ken Loach slammed ‘gig economy’ employment in a passionate Question Time tirade. Mr Loach, pictured, appeared on the BBC show’s panel in South Shields on Thursday night, in the same week the director’s latest film, the Newcastle-set ‘Sorry We Missed You’ had its premiere at Tyneside Cinema. The film criticises the ‘gig economy,’ by focusing on a family’s struggle to make ends meet and pay off debts through working ‘zero hour’ contract jobs in the delivery and care industries.

Mr Loach told the audience about a diabetic gig-economy van driver, Don Lane, who was so afraid to take a sick day that he died after missing doctor’s appointments. Don, Mr

Loach said, was wary about taking time off to go to hospital as his employer fined him £150 for missing work to attend a previous appointment.

Speaking on Question Time, Mr Loach said: “Don Lane was a 53-year-old van driver, he was diabetic, he had an appointment with a specialist at hospital.

“He went, he was fined £150 a day because he didn’t provide a replacement driver. Of course he lost his money and he had to pay for the van he was renting or hiring.

“He had further appointments and he decided not to go because he’d be in debt, he didn’t have the resources, he didn’t go.”

The driver, Mr Loach said, missed a third appointment, collapsed and died.

The director, 83, added: “Now you tell me that’s justified, you tell me that’s right – that a worker is so terrified to have a day off for sickness because he’ll be fined and therefore he dies.

“That’s the gig economy, that’s what it’s doing to working people.”

The ‘gig economy’ refers to jobs with short-term or zero hour contracts, where employees are often hired on a freelance basis.

In many roles, such as delivery, employees pay to hire vital equipment, like vans.

■ Question Time from South Shields will be repeated on BBC Parliament tomorrow at 6pm. Thursday night’s debate is also available to watch on BBC iPlayer.