New Zealand Uber drivers demand better pay and working conditions

New Zealand Uber drivers began negotiating a collective agreement with the firm in order to get better compensation and working conditions. Since their arrival in New Zealand in 2014, Uber will be operating here for the first time. Limousine Commission's approval of an increase of approximately $1,000 per month. To raise pay and improve working conditions, New Zealand drivers and Uber started a collective bargaining agreement. The national labour union First Union, according to the reports, aided the drivers in initiating this deal. According to the New Zealand Employment Law, a party is obligated to enter into an agreement once they receive a notification to begin negotiations. To ensure that both parties choose to negotiate, the court will grant both sides a window of time to make their preparations. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="594"] Image credit- TechCrunch[/caption] Uber driver and first union delegate Bill Rama said, "Drivers want to boost our compensation, improve health and safety for our passengers and ourselves, and have more of a say in how the Uber system affects our families and us." He asserted that only roughly 50% of the time that drivers worked did they receive pay below the minimum wage. Also read: Why Uber Customers Annoyed With Push Notification Ads? Since the company's entry into the nation in 2014, this will be Uber's first-ever collective bargaining agreement. After the Employment Court determined that drivers are workers, not independent contractors, First Union Project Coordinator Aninta Rosentreter said that more than 500 drivers joined the union. These drivers are entitled to work privileges, including the minimum salary, holiday pay, sick leave benefits, and KiwiSaver contributions, in accordance with the judgement. According to the reports, the decision also upholds drivers' ability to form a union and engage in collective bargaining. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="594"] Image credit- Tech Times[/caption] According to the reports, collective bargaining is the most efficient method for boosting wages and enhancing working conditions for employees. She continued, "Uber drivers will finally have a unified voice and a way to negotiate." Uber's Reaction Despite the fact that drivers had won the case, Uber filed an appeal, which the corporation will decide in April. According to the court's decision, the corporation would be penalised for breaking the rules. Given that this is the same court that found in 2020 that a rideshare driver was not an employee of Uber, the business expressed disappointment with the most recent ruling in their response, according to Uber's New Zealand General Manager. This decision, she continued, "underscores the need for minimal industry-wide standards for on-demand labour while maintaining the flexibility and autonomy drivers tell us are vital to them." Throughout the process, Uber would collaborate with the business community and the government.