The TWU has welcomed legislation set to be introduced today in NSW Parliament that will further close loopholes used by gig companies and wealthy supply chain clients to exploit transport workers and businesses.
The updates to Chapter 6 of NSW's Industrial Relations Act have the potential to save lives and ease deadly supply chain pressures by complementing Federal legislation, filling in gaps for matters like workers' compensation, workplace health and safety, and balancing sectors like rideshare with taxis and transport.
In conjunction with the Closing Loopholes legislation passed by the Albanese government last year, state legislation has a critical role to play to ensure that owner drivers, transport small businesses and gig workers don't fall through the cracks.
Since 2017, 18 food delivery riders have been killed on Australian roads-15 of those in Sydney.
Transport small businesses and owner drivers are under immense supply chain pressures, while gig workers have faced unilateral rate cuts and have no rights to workers' compensation, with the lack of standards in rideshare putting the taxi industry under further pressure.
With the Taxi Council joining the calls to lock in these changes, the TWU is calling on all parties to support these common-sense protections it has been advocating for over several years.
Rideshare driver Graham McLaughlin said:
"These rate cuts have also made me much more stressed about my finances and have overall had a massive toll on my physical and mental health. I'm driving an extra 8 hours a week just to survive.
"There's no way for me to challenge when these rideshare companies cut my rate. Even if I did, without protection I have no safety net if I get deactivated."
Nick McIntosh, TWU State Assistant Secretary (NSW Branch) said:
"Since 2017, 18 food delivery riders have been killed on Australian roads-15 of those were in Sydney.
"The changes coming to Parliament this week are common-sense reforms that give owner drivers, transport small businesses and gig workers much-needed protections after years of exploitation and immense contract pressures.
"These reforms will be a sigh of relief to workers and transport businesses, easing deadly supply chain pressure and saving lives on NSW roads."
"Gig companies should support these updates as well as engage in the gig applications underway in the Fair Work Commission to save lives through decent standards for workers."
Michael Kaine, TWU National Secretary said:
"All legislative protections that provide rights to workers, a fair playing field for employers and better safeguards for the community are to be welcomed, and these are ones that will save lives.
"For years, gig companies have exploited every loophole in countries around the world to wriggle out of ensuring decent standards for workers. The Federal and NSW State oppositions not only refused to act, they rolled out the red carpet to this unconscionable behaviour."
"For too long, workers have been killed on our roads and transport businesses have struggled to survive under immense supply chain pressure. This action by the NSW Government is a step towards a more level playing field, complementing Federal legislation that is well on its way to putting in place life-saving standards in road transport.
"These updates to NSW law are crucial to ensure workers don't fall through the cracks in matters that fall to the states, and to balance the rideshare and taxi industries fairly and rationally."
