New Zealand could be heading the same way as the UK when it comes to whether Uber drivers are classified as workers rather than contractors.
First Union and E Tu are in the process of filing a case in the employment court on behalf of Uber drivers, following a high court ruling in the UK where drivers needed to be paid a minimum wage, holiday pay and pension plans.
It comes as a new gig economy report is released today by First Union which half of the respondents estimated their hourly income to be less than the minimum wage after expenses.
First Union Strategic Project co-ordinator Anita Rosentreter told Mike Hosking the perceived benefits of a gig economy are often not what they appear.
“The independence and flexibility that people associate with a gig economy is actually mostly an illusion, and what happens over time is people end up scheduling their lives around the peak times of that work, so it doesn't really work out the way they expect it to."
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