RELATED VIDEO: The B.C. government has announced a new minimum wage and workers' compensation for app-based ride-hailing and food delivery workers. As Troy Charles reports, there are concerns over its potential impacts.Uber Canada says consumers will be shouldering cost increases and restaurants could suffer in response to B.C.’s announcement on Wednesday.
The minimum wage of $20.88 will apply to periods when a worker has accepted an assignment and not to downtime between jobs.“With the inclusion of an incredibly expensive expense rate, the B.C. government is driving up costs for residents and reducing demand for local restaurants and earning opportunities for workers,” an Uber Canada spokesperson said in an email.
“There could be unintended consequences that we outlined to the government. There is potential for increased costs to consumers and that could lead to decreased orders for small businesses across the province,” he said.At the same time, Unifor, the country’s largest private-sector union, said B.C.’s changes are leading the way to enshrine the basic rights of gig workers.
Unifor western regional director Gavin McGarrigle said in a statement that gig workers are some of the most exploited and under-represented workers in B.C.’s economy.It says unionizing can be a struggle because of the lack of transparency around these types of companies’ total local workforce.“However, without accurate knowledge of the threshold, the organizing efforts are more likely to fail or stall.