Uber and Transport Workers’ Union strike agreement on gig economy employment standards

theguardian.com:

Ride-sharing giant Uber and the Transport Workers’ Union have struck a landmark agreement on proposed employment standards and benefits ahead of expected new gig economy regulation from the Albanese government.

The union and Uber have also agreed to jointly support the creation of a new independent government-funded regulatory body to create industry-wide standards for ride share and food delivery gig workers following months of negotiations.

Under the agreed standards, the body will be responsible for creating minimum and transparent enforceable earnings, benefits and conditions for people who work on the ride-share platform. The body will also act as a means for resolving disputes over platform employment issues, such as when a worker’s account is deactivated.

The standards also outline that the rights of workers to join and be represented by a union will be respected.

“It is quite a remarkable document. It’s a remarkable set of principles,” the Transport Workers’ Union national secretary, Michael Kaine, told Guardian Australia.

“It’s something that identifies that we need change, and there is a pathway to change, and we’ve got a new federal government that’s indicated that it wants to act in this area as well. So the stars are aligning for us all.”

Uber’s general manager in Australia, Dominic Taylor, said the new standards would still retain flexibility for drivers and delivery drivers.

“[That] flexibility [is] why, we hear from our drivers, they come back time and time again. However, what we are announcing today is how do we work towards a system that allows us to also overlay benefits that are more commonly associated with an employment-like contract, in the form of benefits, guarantees, safety nets,” he said.

Labor