Today’s court ruling upholding the rights of Uber drivers is a message to the Government that it must not tamper with employment protections.
“This decision is a monumental win for workers’ rights. We call on the Prime Minister to rule out and refrain from pushing policies that undermine today’s decision and the rights of our workers,” says the Green Party’s Workplace Relations & Safety spokesperson Teanau Tuiono.
“The judgement couldn’t be clearer - maintaining the status quo means upholding the rights of workers to have their employment relationship considered by the courts, based on the facts of the arrangement.
“This sends a strong message to the Government that it should pull back from a commitment in the National-ACT coalition agreement to maintain a so-called ‘status quo’ where contractors who sign up for a contracting arrangement are not allowed to challenge their employment status in the Employment Court.
“The Government is clearly confused with what the status quo is, and glaringly out of touch with workers’ rights.
“Since it began operating in this country, Uber has shown scant regard for employment law and the rights of those who make its business work. Thankfully our court system has repeatedly upheld those rights, and this has now been affirmed by the Court of Appeal as well as the Employment Court.
“The critical role our workers play in our society must be respected - and as new ways of working emerge it is paramount that laws evolve to ensure workers’ rights are protected.
“Workers are the backbone of our economy. Government must start supporting them,” says Teanau Tuiono.
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