Australia's Fair Work Commission has kicked off an unfair dismissal hearing about online food delivery service Foodora's local operations, with a delivery rider providing testimony on allegedly being sacked after complaining about a lack of workers' rights.
"I first joined Foodora two years ago in the beginning of March 2016 ... there was word of getting workers compensation if we were injured on the job, but I soon found out when other riders were injured that they didn't have that," former Foodora delivery rider Josh Klooger told media on Tuesday.
He added that he had seen Foodora wages halve over the last two years.
"We weren't getting super, we weren't getting sick leave. Something needed to change, so I decided to speak up about it, and I've lost my job about speaking up about it."
According to Transport Workers Union of Australia (TWU) secretary Tony Sheldon, the rise of the so-called gig economy has led to "old-fashioned exploitation" akin to workers' conditions seen in the 1800s.
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"The difference now is that change is coming via apps and by tech billionaires," Sheldon argued.
According to Sheldon, the Victorian government is set to introduce reforms to the Owner Drivers and Forestry Contractors Act that will extend workers' rights to online delivery drivers and riders.
"The rules clearly need to be changed, but the federal government does not have the political will to do so. This is the technological future the federal government is mandating for our kids," Sheldon added.
The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) had commenced legal proceedings against Foodora[2] last month, alleging