Gig workers make a significant contribution to our economy and deserve regulatory clarity. 

As an industry leader, Uber has been working to raise the bar for independent work across Australia and is committed to ensuring that reform supports driver and delivery people in the long-run.

Today, we have taken another step forward in this mission, with Uber and the Transport Workers Union (TWU) signing a Statement of Principles focused on providing a safety net for those working in the on-demand economy while protecting the flexibility that earners value. This is the first time a platform company in Australia has struck a deal with a union across both the rideshare and food delivery industries and is the result of months of detailed discussions. 

The deal principles include support for the formation of a platform work-specific independent body to create industry-wide standards for: 

  1. Minimum and transparent earnings and benefits/conditions for platform workers;
  2. A mechanism to resolve disputes, such as deactivation of accounts; 
  3. Ensuring platform workers have a collective voice and can be represented by a registered organisation;
  4. Ensuring the appropriate enforcement exists to meet these standards and objectives. 

The principles aim to create a level playing field for all platforms and provide certainty for more than 100,000 drivers and delivery people using the Uber platform.

Gig workers make a significant contribution to our economy and we are always looking at ways we can improve the experience of everyone earning via our app. We led the industry in introducing specialised insurance for every driver partner and delivery person in Australia which covers accidents and injuries, as well as income support, should something go wrong while they’re on a trip with Uber. Uber Eats is also a founding signatory of the National Food Delivery Safety Principles which sets the standards of practice for food delivery platforms to help ensure the ongoing safety of food delivery people. 

We are committed to building on these foundations as we work with the TWU, the Federal Government, and others in the industry to create a framework which protects workers’ interests and lays the foundation for the future of the gig economy.

The full Statement of Principles and Future Commitments for Workers in the On-demand Economy can be found here.