'Little duty of care': Third delivery rider dies on the road in a month

A third delivery rider has been killed in the span of one month after an alleged hit and run in the Melbourne CBD on Saturday evening, sparking union calls for gig economy companies to do more for rider safety.

Chow Khai Shien, a 36-year-old from Malaysia, was working for US delivery giant DoorDash when his scooter was struck by what police allege was a stolen car about 7pm on Saturday night.

Mr Chow's relatives told Chinese language media in Australia they had to wait for more than a day before being told what had happened to him.

The family became alarmed after Mr Chow did not get in touch or log onto social media for 24 hours.

"He is alone in Melbourne ... we are all super worried," Mr Chow's sister posted on Facebook before being told of his death.

Police confirmed on Tuesday the man killed on Saturday was a 36-year-old from Malaysia. A 20-year-old woman has been charged over the incident with driving culpably causing death, recklessly endangering life and stealing a motor vehicle, among other offences.

The Transport Workers Union, which has been lobbying for sick leave, higher pay, mandatory training and safety gear for gig economy workers, notified WorkSafe Victoria of Mr Chow's death.

Unlike employees, riders for companies like DoorDash are classified as independent contractors, which means they have flexibility about when and how they work but do not get workers' compensation, sick leave or paid holidays.

"The idea that their company has so little duty of care to them that it takes over 24 hours for family to be informed when a rider is killed is disgusting," the union's Victorian secretary John Berger said.

A DoorDash spokeswoman confirmed Mr Chow was working for the company at the time of his death.

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of Chow Khai Shien, a Melbourne-area Dasher, and our thoughts are with his family, friends and loved ones," the spokeswoman said.

DoorDash was trying to contact Mr Chow's family to pay for funeral expenses and other financial support, the spokeswoman said.

The union is running a case in the Fair Work Commission arguing that a Deliveroo rider, and by extension others in the sector, had been incorrectly classified as a contractor and was actually an employee.

Mr Chow's death comes after two Sydney food delivery riders - UberEats rider Dede Fredy and Hungry Panda worker Xiaojun Chen - were killed within a week of each other in road incidents in late September.

Mr Chow had previously worked for UberEats but his account was not active when he died.

The Victorian government is consulting on plans for laws to more tightly regulate the gig economy in the wake of a report into the sector that found half of respondents to a survey worked for platforms that did not give them insurance.

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