Uber Eats-Amita Gupta case calls for gig worker law reform: Study

The sacking of Indian-origin Amita Gupta by Uber Eats for allegedly arriving 10 minutes late for a delivery — after having worked 96 hours in one week — has highlighted the need to provide basic employment rights to gig workers, a new study has said.

Gupta had sued Uber Eats in 2019, claiming that she was only paid A$300 for 96 hours of work.

After the first hearing in the Federal Court, Uber settled the high-profile unfair dismissal case with Gupta for $400,000 out of court.

According to criminology researchers at Flinders University, inadequate legal reforms, limited power of unions and absence of other safeguards covering this new-economy industry continues to disadvantage gig workers and reinforce the power of companies operating in such a ‘precarious’ casual labour market.