Uber
Global tech

Uber cuts driver pay in fare drop plan

- July 8, 2024 2 MIN READ

Ridesharing giant Uber will cut the pay of its contract drivers next month as it discounts fares. Despite having the lion’s share of the market, Uber emailed drivers late last week flagging the cuts, arguing that it will lead to more demand. But the change will squeeze margins for drivers already struggling with rising fuel… Read more »

MilkRun
Business

MilkRun’s failure: was this just a startup fantasy in a country like Australia?

- April 17, 2023 3 MIN READ

Sydney-based startup MilkRun made a big splash with its promise to deliver groceries within ten minutes, raising more than A$85 million from some of the biggest names in Australian venture capital, including Atlassian billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes. MilkRun’s co-founder and chief executive Dany Milham had already found success with fast-delivering mattress company Koala. Less than a… Read more »

Business

History repeats with Deliveroo’s collapse echoing Foodora’s 2018 exit at the expense of gig economy riders

- November 23, 2022 3 MIN READ

When food delivery platform Deliveroo announced it was shutting down Australian operations last week, it cited a tough business environment, but that tough part may actually be a looming court case challenging the company’s contract work model, according to UNSW Business School lecturer Dr Greig Taylor. His view aligns with the Transport Workers’ Union, with… Read more »

Antler Australia

The Antler Investor Memo Series: MyGigsters is helping gig economy works achieve financial success

- November 7, 2022 2 MIN READ

Early stage investment company Antler Australia recently backed 13 startups as part of its ongoing program to build great local tech companies. Startup Daily has shared the details of each venture in the “Antler Investor Memos” series and today it’s the final profile of those ventures.  This series is designed to give you a quick, sharp… Read more »

Future of work

‘A weird dinging sound that everyone dreads’: the impact of the rapid delivery groceries boom on supermarket workers

- July 19, 2022 4 MIN READ

Online grocery shopping has boomed since the pandemic began in 2020, with Woolworths and Coles steadily expanding their home-delivery offerings. Rapid delivery is the latest frontier. Woolworths and Coles Express have been offering on-demand deliveries through UberEats and Doordash since last year. Woolworths recently launched the Metro60 app which promises home delivery within an hour… Read more »

food delivery courier
Global tech

Guilt, shame, dissatisfaction: a 5-year study of the gig economy reveals a broken business model

- July 13, 2022 4 MIN READ

The gig economy is in trouble. Rideshare drivers are cancelling in droves. Wait times for food delivery are ballooning out and driver shortages are leading to food waste. So, what’s going on? To find out more, I interviewed 30 Melbourne gig workers who worked as rideshare drivers, food deliverers or for task-based platforms such as… Read more »

Global tech

Why Uber signed a gig economy deal with the Transport Workers’ Union

- June 30, 2022 3 MIN READ

Uber Australia has struck a historic agreement with the Transport Workers’ Union – a statement of principles that re-regulate work in the Australian rideshare and food delivery industry. This is a major shift to industrial relations in the gig economy. Uber and its rival platforms have largely treated their workforce as independent contractors, not employees… Read more »

Global tech

The family of a gig economy rider killed delivering food will receive workers comp in a landmark ruling that he was an employee

- June 23, 2022 3 MIN READ

A landmark decision by the NSW government disputes resolution body, the Personal Injury Commission, with see the family of a food delivery rider killed in a traffic accident in 2020 receive $830,000 in compensation after food company and its insurer accepted liability for his death. Xiaojun Chen, 43, died in September 2020 after his bike… Read more »

DoorDash delivery
Business

DoorDash strikes landmark union deal for gig workers

- May 10, 2022 2 MIN READ

Food delivery tech company DoorDash has signed a pioneering agreement with the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) that sets out safety and fairness standards for gig workers. Amid ongoing legal battles by global tech companies over the employment status of gig economy workers, the first-of-its-kind agreement between an Australian union and a delivery platform sets out… Read more »

delivery rider
Future of work

Why gig economy workers need more support and better ways to cope with job uncertainty

- March 14, 2022 3 MIN READ

This weekend, you might hit “place order” for a meal delivery. Or jump in a ride share to meet friends. In both cases, you’ll be engaging a gig worker. “Gig worker” is a term that generally refers to people who get work through smartphone apps – think Uber, Ola, AirTasker, Snappr, and others. Approximately 250,000… Read more »

Airtasker
ASX

Airtasker jobs have soared after lockdowns, up 70%

- November 25, 2021 2 MIN READ

Casual jobs marketplace Airtasker this week held its first AGM since listing six months ago and despite the disruption of 2021’s pandemic lockdowns, pent-up demand to get things done has seen use of the platform soar. Airtasker’s (ASX:ART) gross marketplace volume (GMV) – a measure of activity on the platform –  crossed $200 million as… Read more »

delivery rider
Other

THE GIG’S UP: Fair Work Commission’s finds Deliveroo driver was unfairly dismissed because he was an employee, not a contractor

- May 19, 2021 4 MIN READ

The ruling by Australia’s Fair Work Commission that online food delivery platform Deliveroo unfairly dismissed driver Diego Franco marks a major shift in the Australian “gig” economy. What’s most significant is the commission has ruled Franco was, in fact, an employee of Deliveroo, not an independent contractor – the legal strategy platform companies use to… Read more »