- In a first for the country, Uber is entering collective bargaining discussions with drivers in New Zealand.
- The collective bargaining was initiated by First Union, with it looking at better pay and working hours for its members.
- The move follows a recent case where drivers were classed as employees, not contractors.
Wherever Uber operates one thing has remained constant – drivers are contractors, not employees. This classification has seen the ridesharing platform skirt many laws that employers would have to adhere to, but that could change in New Zealand.
This as Uber is set to enter collective bargaining discussions with drivers via the national trade union, First Union. It is the first time that Uber has entered such discussions in the country, and came about after First Union signalled its intent, which compelled the ridesharing platform to engage, under New Zealand employment law.
While it remains to be seen what results from the talks, these collective bargaining discussions have come to the fore thanks to a successful case in 2021, where four Uber drivers launched a class action lawsuit against the company, in the end earning better rights and protections as employees.
As TechCrunch points out, nearly 500 members have joined First Union since that case shaped the landscape in the country, and more drivers are wanting a minimum wage, sick leave, holiday pay, and better hours when utilising the platform.
Naturally Uber is looking to fight this, and lodged an appeal that will be heard by the courts in April this year.
“We were disappointed by the Employment Court’s recent decision, particularly considering the same Court in 2020 ruled a rideshare driver using the Uber app was not an employee, and have applied for leave to appeal which will be heard in April,” Emma Foley, GM for Uber New Zealand, noted in a statement.
“This ruling underscores the need for industry-wide minimum standards for on-demand work, while preserving the flexibility and autonomy that drivers tell us is important to them,” she added.
Hopefully the collective bargaining takes place and proves fruitful, as Uber drivers outside of New Zealand are struggling with the same lack of protections and rights.
[Image – Photo by charlesdeluvio on Unsplash]
