Human cloud food courier firm Deliveroo is calling on the Irish government to amend legislation covering self-employed workers in the on-demand economy to allow companies to offer them benefits without making them employees, reports the Irish Times. Deliveroo made the submission to the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, proposing a “charter for secure and flexible work” for self-employed contractors in the on-demand economy, saying it was a “unique opportunity” to modernise employment legislation. Under this charter, companies would be able to offer benefits such as insurance or sick pay to workers without putting their self-employed status at risk, the company stated. Earlier this year, the EU approved new legislation granting new rights for gig economy workers. Deliveroo has said its workers did not fall under the scope of this directive as genuinely self-employed workers were not covered. Separately today, Deliveroo said it was withdrawing from Germany, amid stiff competition for food-delivery services.