Uber nagbayad ng $100 million sa New Jersey kaugnay ng driver status dispute
The Uber logo is seen outside the Uber Corporate Headquarters building in San Francisco, California on February 05, 2018. - The billion-dollar trial pitting Alphabet-owned autonomous driving unit Waymo against Uber started in what could be a blockbuster case between two technology giants over alleged theft of trade secrets. The San Francisco courtroom battle will take place as Waymo and Uber race to perfect self-driving cars that people could summon for rides as desired in a turn away from car ownership. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON / AFP)
Binayaran ng Uber ang estado ng New Jersey sa US ng $100 million na back taxes at multa, para sa pag-label sa halos 300,000 mga driver nito bilang self-employed at hindi pagbibigay sa mga kinakailangang benepisyo.
Gayunman, iginiit ng ride-sharing giant, na talagang independent contractors ang kanilang drivers at sinabing nagbayad lamang sila ng bahagi ng isang bilyong dolyar na unang hiningi ng naturang estado.
Ang pagbabayad ay nagsanga mula sa ginawang auditing ng gobyerno sa operasyon ng Uber sa New Jersey sa pagitan ng 2014 at 2018, na ang naging konklusiyon ay hindi tama ang ginawang klasipikasyon ng kompanya sa kanilang drivers bilang independent workers.
Dahil dito, sinabi ng New Jersey Department of Labor sa isang pahayag, na nawala ang karapatan ng Uber drivers na makatanggap ng minimum wage, overtime pay, unemployment insurance, sick leave, family leave at iba pang mga benepisyo.
Sinabi ni New Jersey acting attorney general Matt Platkin, “We will not tolerate companies that misclassify their workers, thereby denying employees vital benefits and dodging their obligation to contribute to programs that benefit the workforce.”
Ayon naman kay New Jersey Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo, “Job flexibility shouldn’t come at the expense of social benefits. Let’s be clear: there is no reason temporary, or on-demand workers who work flexible hours or even minutes at a time can’t be treated like other employees in New Jersey or any other state.”
Kung uuriin ba ang mga driver para sa ride-sharing companies bilang mga empleyado o independent contractors, ay matagal nang pinagtatalunan ng mga kinatawan ng negosyo at gobyerno, kung saan wala pa ring malinaw na napagkakasunduan hanggang ngayon.
Ipinagtanggol naman ng Uber ang paninindigan nito.
Ayon sa pahayag ng kompanya, “Drivers in New Jersey and nationally are independent contractors who work when and where they want – an overwhelming amount do this kind of work because they value flexibility. We look forward to working with policymakers to deliver benefits while preserving the flexibility drivers want.”
Hindi naman malinaw kung ikukonsidera pa rin ng New Jersey authorities na may paglabag ang Uber sa kanilang mga aktibidad, sa mga taon matapos ang ginawang auditing.
Hindi naman agad tumugon ang New Jersey Department of Labor nang hingan ng pahayag tungkol dito.
© Agence France-Presse
