Greens to protect employee status of Uber Drivers

The Green Party is committed to protecting the employee status of Uber Drivers, especially after the Supreme Court echoed the rulings of lower courts and upheld their rights.

“A Green Government will honour the Supreme Court ruling and protect uber drivers from any legislation that seeks to take their employee status,” says the Green Party’s Workplace Relations & Safety spokesperson Teanau Tuiono.

“Uber drivers face increasingly precarious conditions at a time of a cost of living crisis, while Uber continues to make huge profits and take them offshore. Just last year Uber made $402m in revenue and paid less than $1m in tax, while Uber drivers struggle to make ends meet.

“Attempts by this Government to restrict Uber drivers’ rights, thereby entrenching the power imbalance in favour of big business over workers, have been rejected by the court system.

“The court decision shows what can be achieved when workers stand together and organise, with the support of unions, against a powerful multinational corporation who has shown scant regard for the rights of those who make its business work. 

“Many people rely on Uber drivers to get around, yet they do not get access to annual or sick leave, have no protections in place against customers who abuse them and Uber takes no responsibility for their working conditions. 

“The Greens will continue standing with working people’s right to be treated with dignity. 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. The Government must wake up and start recognising them,” says Teanau Tuiono.

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