Media Release – Menulog Steps up to the Mark. Will the Industry Follow Suit?

Menulog has stepped up to the mark. My hope is that other food delivery companies will see value in doing the same.

Media Release –  Uber, A Rule of Their Own!

Following the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom’s judgement on the 19^th of February 2021, Uber has announced that drivers can expect to receive minimum wage for working time commencing when a driver accepts a trip, excluding when the driver logs on to the app and is waiting for a trip.

This decision by Uber is in direct non-compliance with the Supreme Court’s ruling.

In reaching their judgment, their Honours expressly agreed with Judge Eady’s conclusion in the Employment Appeals tribunal that “drivers were workers not only when they had accepted a trip request or were carrying passengers for Uber, but also in between accepting assignment.”

Further, their Honours upheld paragraph 100 of the Employment Tribunal’s judgement which states that “a driver is ‘working’ under a limb (b) contract when he has the App switched on, is in the territory in which he is licensed to use the App, and is ready and willing to accept trips”.

This is because “being available is an essential part of the service which the driver renders to Uber”.

Uber going out on a rule of their own, in contrast to the judgement, once again demonstrates poor corporate behaviour.

The Victorian Government should be wary of any future dealings with such a company that ignores the rights of its workers and the justice system.

In light of this development in the United Kingdom, we urge the Victorian Government to postpone any involvement of Uber in the Multi-Purpose Taxi Program until the parliamentary inquiry into the program is completed.

In addition, with London Uber also announcing paid holiday leave based on 12.07% of their earnings, a pension plan and free insurance for sickness, injury or parental leave, we ask ourselves why is Uber Australia not applying the same standards here?

The Victorian Government should step up and protect Victorian Uber drivers from wage exploitation.

Quotes attributable to Rod Barton, Member for Eastern Metropolitan and Leader of the Transport Matters Party

 “Uber’s actions in the United Kingdom should be a red flag to the Victorian Government. We must act now to protect Victorian Uber drivers and ensure they are being paid fairly.”

 “Considering Uber direct non-compliance with the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, the Victorian Government should postpone the expansion of the Multi-Purpose Taxi Program until the parliamentary inquiry is completed.”

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Media Contact: Norm Dunn, Chief of Staff Rod Barton MP, 0438 175 113 Norm.dunn@parliament.vic.gov.au

Media Release – Time for Action: Homelessness Report Provides Practical Recommendations

‘While this may be the end of the inquiry, this is the beginning of seeing real change that will tackle homelessness, save lives and provide wrap-around support to those in need.’

Media Release – A Serious Red Flag for Victorian Safety: CPVV’s Criminal Error

Media Release

 A Serious Red Flag for Victorian Safety: CPVV’s Criminal Error

Yesterday it was revealed that 2950 rideshare drivers and driving instructors with a criminal record were illegally accredited by Commercial Passenger Vehicles Victoria. (CPVV).

Under the Commercial Passenger Vehicle Industry Act 2017, the regulator must refuse to issue driver accreditation if the applicant is a registered sex offender, under a criminal supervision order or is found guilty of a category 1 or 2 offence including: murder, rape, culpable driving causing death, drug trafficking, kidnapping, assault, child offences, manslaughter and causing serious injury. In addition, the regulator may refuse to issue driver accreditation where the applicant is found guilty of a lesser offence or awaiting court proceedings.

As of November 2018, thousands of rideshare drivers’ police checks were simply left unchecked as a result of this licensing system failure.

Rod Barton MP has continued to raise serious safety concerns to government about ride share being allowed access to the Multi-Purpose Taxi Program (MPTP). This valuable program subsidises fares for vulnerable Victorians with severe and permanent disabilities.

Barton raised earlier this year that “ride share vehicles do not have fixed tamper-proof cameras, fixed in-vehicle GPS tracking, no permanent signage to identify the vehicle, no braille to assist the vision impaired.”

Barton also raised with the Privacy and Data Commissioner some red flags back in February indicating in his view, that there needs to be an investigation to determine how the CPVV plans to use booking service providers’ data and how they will protect personal information of passengers from being exposed.

Considering the major safety risks to vulnerable Victorians, we are calling for the regulator to immediately pause any further involvement of ride share in the MPTP and desist collecting data until it can be proven that the information requested is for the sole purpose of safety and guarantee it will not impede people’s privacy.

Safety is not negotiable.

Quotes attributable to Rod Barton, Member for Eastern Metropolitan and Leader of the Transport Matters Party

 “We simply do not have any confidence in the regulator.”

 “Considering this new information and the fact that rideshare vehicles do not meet the same safety standards of taxis such as having fixed tamper-proof cameras or fixed in-vehicle GPS tracking devices to ensure passenger safety, the CPVV have confirmed our concerns about the CPVV’s ability to protect Victorian passengers in rideshare vehicles.”

 “In the past weeks I have met with senior government members, raised the issue of the regulator (CPVV) and left in them in no doubt my views on the failures and what is required to fix it”

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Media Contact: Norm Dunn, Chief of Staff Rod Barton MP, 0438 175 113 Norm.dunn@parliament.vic.gov.au

Media Release – UK Courts tell Uber the Gig is Up!

Considering the outcome in the United Kingdom, the Victorian Government must step up and acknowledge that Uber drivers are employees and hold Uber to account.

Media Release – Barton warns government back door deal is putting vulnerable Victorians at risk.

The Multi-Purpose Taxi Program is funded by the taxpayer to support people who are vulnerable and have special needs – it must be managed transparently and not used as a back-door cash cow for a company such as Uber that repeatedly argues that it is not responsible for its drivers.

Media release – CPVV partners with Uber

“In this time, it is the regulator’s responsibility to see the financial devastation experienced in the taxi and hire car industry and respond with compassion, fairness and transparency. Gifting the MPTP to Uber is nothing short of kicking the industry while it’s already on its knees.”

Media release – Held to Account

Held to Account: Parliament holds Taxi Licences are Property!

Rod Barton’s motion to repair the damage caused by the 2017 Commercial Passenger Vehicle reforms, acknowledging the arbitrary payments to licence holders and need for sufficient compensation, has passed in legislative council 19 to 18.

Mr Barton, Transport Matters MP, moved the motion, calling on the government to continue the conversation to fairly compensate former perpetual Taxi and Hire Car licence owners for the revocation of their licences in 2017.

‘Deregulation has caused a glut of commercial passenger vehicles on our roads threatening the viability of the industry and pushing driver exploitation to new heights.’ Mr Barton stated.

Cross bencher, Mr Hayes rose in support of the motion stating Uber should have been prosecuted in 2014 as they were doing the same things as taxis without authority – instead ‘the government let them go…rendering taxi licences worthless’.

This motion recognised that hundreds of perpetual taxi and car hire licences owners were paid a pittance for the revocation of their licences back in 2017. Further, that the arbitrary transition assistance payments they were given were grossly inadequate and unfair.

‘I applaud the Cross Bench and the Opposition for their support. I am pleased that my fellow members agree that as elected representatives we have a social and economic responsibility to adopt a plan to properly compensate and restructure the industry in the interest of fairness and restoring this industry.’

Mr Barton looks forward to bringing a proposal to the Government early next year, which is aimed to repair the past and create a pathway to move forward.

The Liberal Democrats members David Limbrick and Tim Quilty along with the Labor Party rejected the motion.

Quotes attributable to Member for Eastern Metropolitan and the Leader of the Transport Matters Party Rod Barton MP: 

‘Thanks to the Cross Bench and the Opposition for their support and commitment to the Taxi and Hire Car Industry. We now have a chance to heal the damage caused and restore this industry back to its former glory’

ENDS

Media contact: Norm Dunn, Chief of Staff Rod Barton MP, 0438 175 113 Norm.dunn@parliament.vic.gov.au

Media Release – QANTAS lost its way!

I call on the Victorian Minister for Industrial Relations call upon the airline to halt the outsourcing of Victorian jobs and creating an environment of insecure work.

Media Release – Project Update: Airport Rail Link Funding Announced – But who will pick up the shortfall?

If the pandemic has taught us one thing, it is that public ownership would reduce the need for the government to step in and subsidise international corporate giants managing public services in a financial downturn

Media Release – New Tax on Electric Vehicles Will Stall Emission Reductions in Transport Sector

The Government should be encouraging the uptake of electric vehicles, not introducing a tax that does the complete opposite.

Media Release – Repair the Past

‘The Commercial Passenger Vehicle reforms have torn through marriages, families and friendships in a way that only profound financial stress, inequality and uncertainty can. The government must step in and release this pressure.’  

Media Release – Free Tram Expansion …. Denied!

The minority report recognises the struggle of our most vulnerable seniors and students; identifies the need to create an accessible and high-capacity tram network; and the benefits the Free Tram Zone creates for tourism, students, seniors, local residents, and our CBD.

The Government might think it’s over…….it’s not!

The implementation of the transition assistance payments and fairness fund failed to address the economic suffering of those in the industry and had inequitable consequences.

Suburban Rail Loop

The Suburban Rail Loop project is an important public transport infrastructure project that will better connect Victoria’s hospitals, universities, and retail industries