Unions have demanded urgent reforms for the protection of food delivery riders after a worker died on Saturday, Australia’s 12th known death in the sector since 2017.
A motorcyclist, aged 22, died on Saturday night after a collision with an SUV in Epping, New South Wales. Police said the man was treated at the scene but later died at Royal North Shore hospital.
An UberEats spokesperson confirmed the rider worked for the company and said the company was deeply saddened by what it described as a “tragic incident”.
“We are in contact with his family and loved ones and are providing our support,” the spokesperson said.
“We are committed to the safety of delivery people and have policies and features in place to help enhance their safety on the road. In Australia, Uber Eats delivery people are covered by a support package designed specifically for them, which includes insurance should an accident or injury occur while delivering.”
UberEats said it notified the state’s work safety watchdog, Safework, has offered assistance to police and is attempting to expedite the insurance process for the worker’s family.
The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) said on Monday that such deaths serve as a reminder of what’s at stake for food delivery riders and criticised the lack of any system in Australia to give transport gig workers basic rights, including minimum wage and sick leave.
The ACTU secretary, Sally McManus, said urgent reform was needed to ensure the safety of delivery workers.
“These workers deserve so much more. Working no matter what the weather or time to bring us convenience comes with a cost, employers are passing risks on to individuals in the pursuit of corporate profits.”
It is Australia’s 12th known death of a food delivery rider since 2017. Nine of the dead were riders for UberEats, the ACTU said.
“We urgently need reform to fix this crisis,” McManus said. “No worker’s life is expendable for convenience.”
The Albanese government has proposed significant reforms to the gig economy, planning to set minimum pay and conditions for workers by giving the Fair Work Commission remit to regulate “employee-like” workers.
The business lobby and gig economy companies have mounted a lobbying effort against the proposed changes, arguing they will increase costs and prices for consumers and lead to job losses.
The reform push comes as families of deceased riders continue to seek compensation through state-based schemes.
In August, the Transport Workers Union launched legal action seeking workers’ compensation for the families of two UberEats delivery riders killed on Sydney roads in 2020. The families received a payment under Uber’s accidental death policy in 2021, but the union at the time said the cases demonstrated why workers’ compensation schemes must be overhauled.
In June last year, the family of a Hungry Panda delivery rider Xiaojun Chen received more than $800,000 under the NSW workers’ compensation scheme. Chen was hit by a bus while making deliveries on his motorbike in Sydney in 2020.
Chen’s case was thought to be the first where a gig economy worker was considered to be an employee.
The harm suffered by delivery riders is thought to be significantly underreported. A 2022 study by researchers at Macquarie University and St Vincent’s hospital found significantly higher rates of injury than previously known. The study examined presentations to one Sydney hospital emergency department between May 2019 and April 2020, and found at least 43 cycling-related injuries among commercial riders.
SafeWork NSW had reported 37 pedal cycling injuries associated with commercial delivery across the state during the same period.
