Uber took a brave step forward by unveiling a message for governments and businesses: They must prioritize improving the work quality of the platforms’ independent workers. A document was released earlier this week on the Uber newsroom.
What are independent workers for Uber?
In every international market of Uber, the platform designates its drivers as independent contractors. Drivers sign up to become official Uber drivers, use their personal vehicles, and take full control over their time and the number of hours they spend each day.
However, Uber believes several challenges must be conquered.
“We believe that these independent contractors should be entitled to continued access to these flexible earnings opportunities, new benefits they can elect and protections that fit the work, more information on what they can expect to earn, and regular, meaningful input to platform decisions that directly impact their livelihoods,” the platform said in the document.
Calls to action, corporate commitments
The Uber document listing down the properties is regarded as the “first step toward a new model for independent platform.”
The first section is a list of calls to action that specifies what needs to be done, and which sectors must act. Is it the government or the industry? Is it Uber? Or all three?
The calls to action include asking states to require the industry to accrue the funds needed for the benefit of the workers, Uber’s goal to provide workers with occupational accident insurance, and asking that all states extend laws to protect independent workers from discrimination, harassment and prejudice.
For those three, Uber suggests they, together with the government and the industry, must act.
Other calls to action include conducting a survey for drivers to evaluate how else can Uber improve, enlisting people who can represent these workers well, helping drivers receive their right to vote, providing transparency for them, providing fast and clear access to earnings, and developing new opportunities.
Those plans are calling only for industries and Uber to act.
“These new benefits would be provided in addition to Uber’s longstanding commitment to accessible work and worker-defined flexibility,” Uber added.
Priorities
Aside from calls to action, the document also outlined priorities “to deliver high-quality independent work.”
First is access, requiring platforms to continue making independent and flexible work opportunities widely accessible to all.
The second is benefits and protections, which require platforms to provide workers with benefits and protections. The third is earnings and payments, which require platforms to provide these independent workers with the information and tools they need to maximize their earnings.
Representation is also needed. For this priority, platforms must encourage and listen to the voices of independent workers and act on their feedback.
Last is growth, which calls for Uber and the government to partner, supporting independent workers in lifelong learning.
“Outdated legal frameworks are forcing platforms and workers to make a choice between flexibility or security at precisely the moment when both flexibility and security are needed. We can and must do better,” Uber stated.