☕️ Uber settles dispute with tax drivers

Good morning!

I hope you’re waking up this morning well rested. But if not, can I interest you in lying on concrete with hundreds of strangers while you try sleep?

In case you missed it, hundreds of people gathered for a ‘mass nap’ in Mexico City for World Sleep Day last week.

If you can’t imagine what that looked like, here’s a photo:

Looks… uncomfortable.

I’ve got 10 seconds

Quote of the day

“Several days before Mr Navalny perished I was told… that there is an idea to exchange Mr Navalny for some people in prison in Western countries [and] I said, ‘I agree’… but unfortunately, the thing that happened, happened.”
For the first time, Vladimir Putin has commented publicly on the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The recently re-elected president claimed Russia was negotiating a prisoner swap with Western countries before Navalny died in an Arctic penal colony last month.

Stat of the day

82%
The percentage of Australian households that shopped online in 2023, according to new data from AusPost. While more households made online purchases (9.5 million), overall spending was down slightly (-1.2%) compared to 2022.

Today in history

1932
The Sydney Harbour Bridge officially opened to the public. NSW Premier at the time, Jack Lang, cut the ribbon and the public was able to walk across the bridge.

I’ve got 30 seconds

Some headlines from this morning:

• Parliament has voted in favour of increasing Paid Parental Leave to 26 weeks over the next three years. It means the entitlement will increase from 20 to 22 weeks of paid leave from 1 July, before increasing again in 2025 and 2026. Minister for Family and Social Services Amanda Rishworth said the change is expected to initially benefit around 180,000 families. The increased leave policy is intended to encourage both parents to take leave, and for partners to give more support to the birthing parent.

• Apple will be forced to answer questions about the safety of its AirTag devices in a U.S. court, after the tech giant’s attempts to overturn a case failed. A group of 38 people have launched legal action against Apple, claiming they were stalked by offenders who used AirTags to track their location and movements. Apple claims the AirTag’s design does not breach any safety or legal regulations.

I’ve got 1 minute

A new report says victims are being "silenced and sidelined" in Victoria's justice system

Victoria’s justice system is traumatising victim-survivors, according to a new report on police and court processes in the state.

Victoria’s Victims of Crime Commissioner (VOCC) Fiona McCormack said the criminal justice system is “primarily designed to ensure the fair treatment of the accused.”

For its “Silenced and Sidelined” report, the VOCC surveyed more than 150 victim-survivors to learn more about their experiences in the justice system.

Here’s a summary of what it found.

• Nearly 30% of victim-survivors who gave evidence in a Victorian court said they would willingly do it again.

• Two in five respondents who didn’t report a crime said they either felt unsafe around police or feared they would not be taken seriously.

• 33% of victim-survivors didn’t know what support services were available to them or how to access them.

Victim-survivors in court

• 75% felt concerned about their safety in court.

• 72% received little-to-no information from prosecutors to help them participate in the justice system. More than half had not been given the opportunity to read a Victim Impact Statement.

1800 RESPECT: 1800 737 732

I’ve got 2 minutes

Uber has agreed to pay $272 million to Australian taxi drivers

Uber has agreed to pay $272 million to settle a five-year legal dispute with thousands of Australian taxi drivers.

A class action argued Uber’s “aggressive” and “illegal” launch in Australia caused direct financial losses for taxi and hire-car workers. A class action is a type of lawsuit where many people are represented by one entity.

It’s the first settlement between Uber and the Australian taxi industry, and the fifth-largest class action settlement in Australian history.

Background

States have their own regulations for taxi and hire-car services. This can include special licences, vehicle registration fees, and driver standards.

When Uber first launched in Australia, ride-sharing was unregulated (unlike taxis). The taxi industry argued the launch of Uber created unfair competition. It called for ride-sharing services to be subject to the same regulations as taxis.

Uber accused states and territories of trying to regulate the platform using “outdated” laws.

Class action

In 2019, legal firm Maurice Blackburn filed a class action against Uber in the Supreme Court of Victoria. The action was brought on behalf of 8,000 people, including taxi drivers and business owners.

The claim related to the launch of the UberX service in NSW, Qld, Vic and WA in 2014. Maurice Blackburn argued some Uber vehicles and drivers had operated illegally without the proper licenses and accreditations.

“This caused loss of income to authorised taxi drivers and operators, and hire car operators,” it said.

Settlement

The class action was due to be heard in upcoming court proceedings. However, Uber has agreed to pay a $271.8 million settlement.

Maurice Blackburn lawyer Michael Donelly said: “Uber fought tooth and nail at every point along the way, every day” for five years. He said the outcome ”will finally put real money back into the accounts of people who have been devastated [by Uber].”

The sum is expected to be shared between the 8,000 members of the class action.

Response

Uber has argued a “one size fits all approach” to taxi and ride-share services failed to recognise the advantages of taxis, like “access to street ranks” and being able to “accept anonymous street hails”.

In response to the settlement, it said Uber is “now regulated in every state and territory,” and that since 2018 it’s made “significant contributions into various state-level taxi compensation schemes”.

”With today’s proposed settlement, we put these legacy issues firmly in our past.”

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Over the weekend, First Nations people in South Australia determined the composition of Australia’s first-ever Indigenous Voice to Parliament advisory body.

The Voice will be a group of First Nations representatives advising the South Australian Government on matters of importance to their communities.

In today’s podcast, we unpack how the South Australian Voice works, how it came to be, and what influence it might have.

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Give me some good news

Researchers in the U.S. have discovered a way to recycle discarded wood, by turning it into ink for 3D printing.

The team at Rice University in Texas have been developing ways to use 3D printing to create sustainable furniture and reduce waste. They were able to reprocess thrown-out wood to create a miniature table and chair.

Researchers will now undertake “further experimental investigations” before plans to scale up the process.

TDA tidbit

The Paris Olympic Village, where athletes stay during the Games, will have everything they need to succeed — except air conditioning.

Ahead of this year’s Games, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo is standing by her decision not to air-condition athletes’ accommodation.

Hidalgo told Reuters that the Olympic Village was “designed to avoid the need for air conditioning, even in very, very high temperatures,” and that those concerned about the European summer need to “trust” the science of that design.

The coming Olympic and Paralympic Games have been nicknamed the ‘Clean and Green Games’ by the organising committee, after its commitment to the environment.

I wonder if the ‘Clean and Green’ plan extends to bedbugs?

TDA asks