Uber drivers operating on thin margins have threatened to park their cars if the ride-sharing service does not raise prices to account for high fuel costs.
Drivers who earn money using the app have had to absorb a 50 per cent increase in fuel costs without any additional income or reduction in fees from the app.
Average prices for unleaded petrol in NSW have increased from about $1.60 per litre to more than $2.30 per litre in the last month.
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Drivers who need to keep their identity private to protect their jobs have told News Corp Australia that fuel costs have eroded profits from ride-sharing to the point where it may not be worth working for the service.
Others on the public Uber Drivers Forum have said that “Uber needs to come to the party with a fuel subsidy or a decrease in fees,” asking the company “where is the money?”.
A third user wrote that “current high prices in petrol is costing me an extra $200 a week. If this [war] doesn’t end soon and there’s a fuel shortage looks like I’ll be off the road”.
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A spokeswoman for Uber said that “we recognise recent fuel price increases are having an effect across a wide range of industries, including for driver partners and delivery people who use the Uber and Uber Eats app to earn”.
“Uber is actively monitoring conditions as they evolve and regularly reviews ways to support driver partners and delivery people as circumstances change,” she said.
“We are always looking for ways we can continue to support them, including our Uber Pro program which offers discounts on fuel and EV charging, as well as other savings to help reduce their expenses.”
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Transport Workers Union National Secretary Michael Kaine said major companies such as Uber need to do more to support people that make the service possible.
“Gig workers, owner-drivers and transport operators are being squeezed by rising fuel prices,” he said.
“If they can’t pass those on to clients with healthier balance sheets, that increases deadly pressure to delay vital vehicle maintenance, push longer hours and skip breaks.
“Transport already suffers from razor thin margins and safety is the first thing put under strain. We need transport clients to step up and be part of the solution to keep our critical supply chains running safely and sustainably. This keeps both drivers and the public safe on our roads.”
The TWU and Australian Road Transport Industrial Organisation have applied on behalf of drivers to the Fair Work Commission to transport clients to pay for increases in fuel costs.
ARTIO Secretary Peter Anderson said the application to the Fair Work Commission “encourages the whole industry to share the burden of skyrocketing fuel costs, rather than shunting it on to those at the bottom of the chain”.
“It brings together workers, transport companies, gig platforms and transport clients to drive a fair solution for all.”
