It says about 4 million people now work on short-term contracts, for labour hire companies and as so-called independent contractors, as is the case with Uber drivers. The Australian Council of Trade Unions regards Australia as a “global pacesetter in creating precarious jobs”. Its share price has fallen from the US$45 of the initial public offering, but the stockmarket float has still made a handful of company owners extremely wealthy. Uber listed on the New York Stock Exchange on May 10, 2019. This points to a bigger problem than just ride-sourcing: precarious, insecure and non-standard work with uncertain job length, few benefits and unpredictable pay is becoming an issue for more and more Australians. While Uber drivers have greater flexibility and earn extra income, should workers have to choose between bad and worse? So in many ways Uber has been a step up for these workers. That flexibility meant they could do things such as pick up their children from school without having to take time off. While they earned less per hour driving than working at a restaurant, they were free to work as long as they wanted. Former hospitality workers struggled with too few hours, unpaid work outside of shifts and terrible managers. Others told us about even worse working conditions at their old jobs. In fact, for many Uber became their primary income. Uber was essential to them in making up the difference. They told us about “commission only” jobs, and having to “win” projects from potential employers, which meant they always felt insecure and didn’t have reliable income.
Surprisingly this was an experience related to us by drivers who had been working in areas such as advertising, business management and finance. The graph below shows Australians want more work but aren’t finding it. Many turned to Uber because of chronic underemployment, with their current job not giving them enough hours.Īccording to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 8.1% of Australian workers are underemployed, up from 2.5% in the 1970s.
Yet most said they were satisfied working as a “driver-partner” because their other options were awful. Almost all reported some form of economic insecurity working for Uber. These drivers were earning A$10 to A$17.50 an hour. Most had worked in hospitality or service sectors. Our team interviewed 24 Uber drivers in Brisbane. So too may be the experiences of those who end up driving for Uber. Less than half of all Australian workers now have permanent full-time jobs.Īs the “gig-economy” grows, casuals and contractors without protections such as paid leave and job security may become the new normal. That’s something that should concern us all.Īcross the world the proportion of people in “insecure” jobs is creeping upwards.
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