June 29, 2022

Uber and Australia’s largest transport union, the Transport Workers Union (TWU) have agreed to support a federal agency that enforces minimum wages for the company’s drivers.

The new body would also oversee disputes that led to the suspension of drivers “accounts.” The body will guarantee and protect drivers’ rights to organize with a” collective voice, “” the statement said.

In Tuesday’s statement, Uber general manager for Australia Dom Taylor said the company wanted “to see a level playing field for the industry and preserve the flexibility that gig workers value.”

“It is critical that earners continue to be part of the regulatory conversation and that their collective voice is heard,” Taylor said.

For TWU national secretary Michael Kaine, the agreement was “a significant and positive development in the years-long campaign led by gig economy workers to modernize out-of-date industrial laws.”

Uber has reached similar agreements with unions in the UK, Canada and some U.S. states. However, but the agreements were only reached after court rulings or legislative changes that favor guaranteed wage levels.

The sources for this piece include an article in Reuters.