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UberEats could be about to get more expensive with gig economy workers to get minimum pay rates

Uber delivery drivers will be among the gig economy workers set to receive wage and condition protections in new laws announced on Sunday.

Premier Chris Minns, at the NSW Labor Conference on Sunday, announced proposals to protect gig economy workers. Picture: NewsWire / Simon Bullard.
Premier Chris Minns, at the NSW Labor Conference on Sunday, announced proposals to protect gig economy workers. Picture: NewsWire / Simon Bullard.

Ordering UberEats could be about to get more expensive with the Minns government to legislate minimum pay standards for drivers and gig economy workers.

Announcing the new policy to rapturous applause at the Australian Labor Party conference on Sunday, Premier Chris Minns said minimum pay standards and conditions for gig economy workers would be implemented this year.

“For too long we’ve seen workers on our streets, pedalling hard, weaving through traffic often doing difficult and dangerous work,” he said.

“They’re carrying our food and delivering our packages and they have next to no protections.

“We can’t be a society that prioritises our convenience over these workers, that treats them as if they’re disposable or anonymous or someone to be exploited.

“They don’t have a say over rights and conditions, they don’t have minimum rates of pay, they don’t have recourse if they’re dismissed from the app unfairly … that changes today.”

UberEats could get more expensive under the proposal.
UberEats could get more expensive under the proposal.

The NSW government will this year introduce legislation empowering the NSW Industrial Relations Commission to set minimum pay and conditions for gig workers, such as food and grocery delivery drivers.

Mr Minns said truck drivers who deliver bread and dairy would be offered the same protections as other delivery drivers, despite being historically exempt.

Currently gig workers have no minimum rates of pay or conditions. They also have no unfair dismissal protections and no access to an industrial relations umpire.

The new reforms will give the Industrial Relations Commission the powers to mediate disputes between platforms like Uber and gig workers and will work to prevent companies from redefining the definition of gig workers to circumvent the changes.

A spokesperson for Uber said it was too soon to say whether the reforms would affect prices. Uber is concerned the reforms would duplicate new Federal laws on the rights if gig workers.

“Uber has long supported the creation of minimum pay and other standards for gig workers and has collaborated closely with the Federal government, unions and across the industry during the recent federal industrial relations reform process,” the spokesperson said.

“We are concerned that the reforms proposed by the Minns Government risks duplicating the new federal laws, leading to unnecessary complexity and uncertainty.”

The Premier’s entered the ALP conference to a standing ovation, with Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s hit, You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet booming in the background.

No union delegates walked out during the Premier’s speech unlike those from the Electrical Trade Union who left during the Prime Minister’s speech on Saturday.

The Premier, in his speech to the Labor delegation, also announced $6.5 million in funding for a new migrant worker centre, which will train newcomers to the country about their rights in the workplace.

The new centre will be designed to tackle the exploitation of migrant workers.

Originally published as UberEats could be about to get more expensive with gig economy workers to get minimum pay rates

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Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/nsw/ubereats-to-get-more-expensive-with-gig-workers-to-get-minimum-pay-rates/news-story/4d1aaee872b58e899f7b3c681ff29585