Nureddin Abdurahman: Wellington Uber Driver on the Supreme Court ruling that four drivers are employees, not contractors

Uber drivers are rejoicing over their employment status being finalised with a legal win in the Supreme Court. 

Four drivers have won their battle against Uber to be treated as employees, rather than contractors. 

The Supreme Court rejected Uber’s bid for the court to overturn a 2024 Court of Appeal ruling. 

Wellington Uber driver —and city councillor— Nureddin Abdurahman told Andrew Dickens Uber's been exploiting the huge number of people looking for a job. 

He says it doesn't matter how many people are looking for a job, they all deserve rights. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Uber has run out of road when it comes to
appealing their driver's rights. A group of four drivers has
taken their dispute with the global company to the Supreme
Court and one the court recognized that drivers are employees
and should be given the same rights, and that potentially
means things like guaranteed minimum wage, sick leave and annual leave.
Two it was a five mil decision. Nurdadina abdur Ahmen

(00:21):
is a driver who took Uber to court and is
also the Wellington City councilor and joins me now Nurdaden,
good morning to you.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
Good morning Andrew.

Speaker 1 (00:28):
It's been a long four year fight for you through
three courts and in every court it's been in your favor.
This must be a very satisfying result.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
Yes, it's a very long fight, but I'm very pleased.
And yeah, I'm beyond proud of all the three other
drivers and hit a union and first union for the
hard walk.

Speaker 1 (00:51):
So what's your read on the final reading? What will
it mean?

Speaker 2 (00:55):
Well, it means basically drivers are like any either employees.
They will have equal rights and they were they were
to have human rights. And the fight was about employment
right as much as it was a human right.

Speaker 1 (01:10):
But what are the ramifications? I mean, will Uber prices
suddenly skyrocket? What is the meaning for the wider gig
economy which has a reason for existing?

Speaker 2 (01:19):
Well, I don't. I don't believe so. I think Uber
and the last year they make about four hundred million
dollars and then how much they paid in tax I
think those are the kind of things they need to
do openly with the community. And it's not going to
be much increase for for the for those who use Uber.

(01:39):
I think it's about fairness.

Speaker 1 (01:42):
Will will Will this have an international impact on the
gig economy model?

Speaker 2 (01:48):
Well, I think it should and it will. What it
means it's in a positive way. And look, drivers are
in this case, they're saying they know what is good
for them, and it's Steed of Uber telling them why
it's good for drivers. And the drivers they say they
want to have sickly I they want to have a
minimum wage, and they want to have most importantly a

(02:11):
decent way of dealing when they get dismissed for reasons
they believe it's not the right one. And I think
this is a very simple question to ask.

Speaker 1 (02:20):
Well, many have said, if you want these better benefits,
these better wages, and you want to drive a taxi,
then dry dry, you know, join a taxi company. What
do you say to that.

Speaker 2 (02:31):
Well, I think I myself used to drive taxi before
I joined Uber. But it's the whole system was changed
when Uber joined the business, and the business model has
changed since then in a big way, and no one
wants to be driving Uber until driving Uber becomes like

(02:52):
kind of the only way to survive. And if you
ask me, I wouldn't be driving Uba. I would have
just still got an opportuity to do better than taxi.

Speaker 1 (03:02):
Yes, but I've heard there's currently too many drivers, not
enough rides, so there's more than enough people who still
want to work under the Uber model.

Speaker 2 (03:11):
Well, look the system we currently have. There are so
many drivers who there are so many people who are
looking for work and they need a job. And then
Uber is using the human resource that we have to
exploit for their own benefit. And that is why we
need a loan in this country. The load that just

(03:33):
says no, it doesn't matter how many people are out
there looking for a job. They deserve rights like everyone else.
And that is why the Supreme Court agree with the
drivers in the skis.

Speaker 1 (03:44):
Well, Congratulations New Adena, and thank you so much for
joining us. New aDNA Abdulla Ahman, the Uber driver who
took Uber to court. For more from Early Edition with
Ryan Bridge. Listen live to News Talks it Be from
five am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeart Ready
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