A new report from RidefairTO suggests that Uber and Lyft drivers will only end up getting paid $7.20 an hour under the new legislation
Ontario’s move to legislate a $15 minimum wage for gig workers is facing mounting criticism from workers rights groups, who say that the language in the proposed bill will effectively result in them earning less than minimum wage.
The issue of how wages are calculated for gig workers – which include not just ride-share drivers, but grocery and food delivery couriers as well – is at the heart of a heated global debate over whether these tech-platform workers should be categorized as employees and afforded protections under labour laws.
But the language in the clause regarding minimum wage is unclear, critics say. The bill states that platform operators should pay minimum wage for “each work assignment performed by a worker.” Ontario Labour Minister Monte McNaughton defended his government’s gig-worker minimum wage at a press conference Tuesday, saying that RidefairTO’s assertions were “not correct.” He said gig workers in New York, which has brought in similar rules, had seen their pay go up.
Uber is advocating that app workers get paid $18 an hour in Ontario, in order to compensate for non-engaged time. The rideshare giant argues that during non-engaged time, drivers and delivery people may be completing other tasks or they might be actively receiving requests on other delivery and rideshare apps.
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