My Uber to work costs about twelve bucks (outside of surge times). Take off the company’s 25% - 28% commission, take off GST, take off income tax, take off the cost of having the Uber-approved car and the running of it, equals roughly $5 to $6 for the driver.  

They’re earning nothing when they’re not driving. So, if they’ve waited a while for that job, or travelled a time-consuming distance to get to me, that $6 becomes a paltry sum. 

And if they get sick? Nothing. 

And if a child’s home from school and they can’t work? Nothing.  

And if they need a holiday? Nothing. 

I’ve been reporting on gig drivers for years. (It began with courier drivers. Now it’s Uber drivers.) And I’ve seldom met a group of workers with less power.  

Yes, they can choose the hours they work. But what I’ve observed, repeatedly, is they work long hours, they regularly don’t earn minimum wage (after costs), they’re often heavily in debt for their vehicles and they’re not unionised.  

And if they don’t like it, their choice is to work more hours, or to leave.  

It’s important to stress that some Uber drivers do it as a side-hustle, picking up a few hours after their “real” job, and that works really well for them. 

But for many drivers, it’s all or nothing. If a passenger complains, even if that complaint is vexatious, Uber can suspend you, with no pay.  

But this is starting to change.  

Last October, the Employment Court delivered an extraordinary judgment, determining that four Uber drivers were employees, not contractors. Uber is seeking leave to appeal that decision, but it’s already echoing throughout the rideshare world.  

In 2020, another significant Employment Court judgment determined that a courier driver had been an employee, not a contractor. As law firm, Hesketh Henry, said at the time, “it represents a reset of the ‘owner–driver’ courier model.” 

Those resets are happening, globally. 

And Aotearoa is leading the way in many respects.   

So much so, that an Uber-drivers’ union is being formed here - with hundreds of drivers already signed up. 

This is the story of Uber drivers.