Why is Uber paying $178 million to Australian taxi drivers?
FirstpostMar 18
Uber Pays Australian Cabbies $178M Settlement
The Facts
Uber Australia will pay $272M Australian ($178.M) to taxi operators and drivers to settle a class action suit they filed against the ride-hailing company in 2019 for causing significant wage losses.
Uber in a statement said it has put "legacy issues firmly in our past" upon news it has agreed to the fifth-largest class action settlement in Australian history.
The Spin
Narrative A
After years of denial, stalling, and fighting back by Uber, justice for taxi drivers has finally been served. This should be a lesson to any big firm seeking undeserved profits and to workers facing unfair competition — even the hardest battles can be won with unity and persistence against greed.
Narrative B
When Uber entered the scene, Australia's ride-hailing industry was overpriced and teeming with aging cars. The company brought a revival of sorts and completely modernized the industry with its new-age sensibility and technology. If what Uber did was illegal, it was because the law was anachronistic. The company cannot be blamed for being far ahead.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that self-driving taxis will be available in at least one large German city by March 30, 2031, according to the Metaculus prediction community.