1
00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,320
Speaker 1: Uber has run out of road when it comes to

2
00:00:02,320 --> 00:00:05,440
Speaker 1: appealing their driver's rights. A group of four drivers has

3
00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:07,760
Speaker 1: taken their dispute with the global company to the Supreme

4
00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:11,680
Speaker 1: Court and one the court recognized that drivers are employees

5
00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:14,080
Speaker 1: and should be given the same rights, and that potentially

6
00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:17,279
Speaker 1: means things like guaranteed minimum wage, sick leave and annual leave.

7
00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:21,599
Speaker 1: Two it was a five mil decision. Nurdadina abdur Ahmen

8
00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:23,599
Speaker 1: is a driver who took Uber to court and is

9
00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:26,200
Speaker 1: also the Wellington City councilor and joins me now Nurdaden,

10
00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:26,880
Speaker 1: good morning to you.

11
00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:28,680
Speaker 2: Good morning Andrew.

12
00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:31,800
Speaker 1: It's been a long four year fight for you through

13
00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:35,120
Speaker 1: three courts and in every court it's been in your favor.

14
00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:37,000
Speaker 1: This must be a very satisfying result.

15
00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:41,680
Speaker 2: Yes, it's a very long fight, but I'm very pleased.

16
00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:46,760
Speaker 2: And yeah, I'm beyond proud of all the three other

17
00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:50,839
Speaker 2: drivers and hit a union and first union for the

18
00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:51,480
Speaker 2: hard walk.

19
00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:53,520
Speaker 1: So what's your read on the final reading? What will

20
00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:53,920
Speaker 1: it mean?

21
00:00:55,640 --> 00:01:00,920
Speaker 2: Well, it means basically drivers are like any either employees.

22
00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:04,200
Speaker 2: They will have equal rights and they were they were

23
00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:07,360
Speaker 2: to have human rights. And the fight was about employment

24
00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:09,840
Speaker 2: right as much as it was a human right.

25
00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:13,160
Speaker 1: But what are the ramifications? I mean, will Uber prices

26
00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:15,959
Speaker 1: suddenly skyrocket? What is the meaning for the wider gig

27
00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:18,200
Speaker 1: economy which has a reason for existing?

28
00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:22,720
Speaker 2: Well, I don't. I don't believe so. I think Uber

29
00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:26,200
Speaker 2: and the last year they make about four hundred million

30
00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:28,440
Speaker 2: dollars and then how much they paid in tax I

31
00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:30,240
Speaker 2: think those are the kind of things they need to

32
00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:35,360
Speaker 2: do openly with the community. And it's not going to

33
00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:39,720
Speaker 2: be much increase for for the for those who use Uber.

34
00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:41,679
Speaker 2: I think it's about fairness.

35
00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:45,120
Speaker 1: Will will Will this have an international impact on the

36
00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:46,360
Speaker 1: gig economy model?

37
00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:51,600
Speaker 2: Well, I think it should and it will. What it

38
00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:56,120
Speaker 2: means it's in a positive way. And look, drivers are

39
00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:59,000
Speaker 2: in this case, they're saying they know what is good

40
00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:01,240
Speaker 2: for them, and it's Steed of Uber telling them why

41
00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:04,320
Speaker 2: it's good for drivers. And the drivers they say they

42
00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:06,440
Speaker 2: want to have sickly I they want to have a

43
00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:10,920
Speaker 2: minimum wage, and they want to have most importantly a

44
00:02:11,040 --> 00:02:15,080
Speaker 2: decent way of dealing when they get dismissed for reasons

45
00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:17,560
Speaker 2: they believe it's not the right one. And I think

46
00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:20,360
Speaker 2: this is a very simple question to ask.

47
00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:23,280
Speaker 1: Well, many have said, if you want these better benefits,

48
00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:25,840
Speaker 1: these better wages, and you want to drive a taxi,

49
00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:29,040
Speaker 1: then dry dry, you know, join a taxi company. What

50
00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:29,680
Speaker 1: do you say to that.

51
00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:34,919
Speaker 2: Well, I think I myself used to drive taxi before

52
00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:39,280
Speaker 2: I joined Uber. But it's the whole system was changed

53
00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:44,200
Speaker 2: when Uber joined the business, and the business model has

54
00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:47,440
Speaker 2: changed since then in a big way, and no one

55
00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:51,840
Speaker 2: wants to be driving Uber until driving Uber becomes like

56
00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:57,040
Speaker 2: kind of the only way to survive. And if you

57
00:02:57,080 --> 00:02:58,679
Speaker 2: ask me, I wouldn't be driving Uba. I would have

58
00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:02,280
Speaker 2: just still got an opportuity to do better than taxi.

59
00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:05,080
Speaker 1: Yes, but I've heard there's currently too many drivers, not

60
00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:07,519
Speaker 1: enough rides, so there's more than enough people who still

61
00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:08,960
Speaker 1: want to work under the Uber model.

62
00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:15,040
Speaker 2: Well, look the system we currently have. There are so

63
00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:19,200
Speaker 2: many drivers who there are so many people who are

64
00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:22,799
Speaker 2: looking for work and they need a job. And then

65
00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:27,040
Speaker 2: Uber is using the human resource that we have to

66
00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:30,600
Speaker 2: exploit for their own benefit. And that is why we

67
00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:32,960
Speaker 2: need a loan in this country. The load that just

68
00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:35,640
Speaker 2: says no, it doesn't matter how many people are out

69
00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:40,240
Speaker 2: there looking for a job. They deserve rights like everyone else.

70
00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:43,400
Speaker 2: And that is why the Supreme Court agree with the

71
00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:44,920
Speaker 2: drivers in the skis.

72
00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:47,040
Speaker 1: Well, Congratulations New Adena, and thank you so much for

73
00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:50,360
Speaker 1: joining us. New aDNA Abdulla Ahman, the Uber driver who

74
00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:53,400
Speaker 1: took Uber to court. For more from Early Edition with

75
00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:56,520
Speaker 1: Ryan Bridge. Listen live to News Talks it Be from

76
00:03:56,640 --> 00:03:59,920
Speaker 1: five am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeart Ready

77
00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:00,960
Speaker 1: oh M