Uber Drivers Face Assault, Algorithm Banishment

0:00Uber drivers in Australia are facing a double whammy getting assaulted by rowdy passengers, then booted off the app by automated systems that don't. Ask questions first. Take Michael Thorn, last April, Ford drunk riders from a Sydney pub attacked him, punching him in the face and sending him to the hospital for. Stitches. He reported it to Uber, but they deactivated his account anyway after the passengers complain. Meanwhile, this isn't just one bad night. Drivers leaning hard on algorithms with only a few hundred local staff, overseeing tens of thousands of drivers, leading to quick deactivations that experts call unfair. Drivers like Ranjit Singh lost over $2,000 in earnings after a passenger hit him and trashed his stuff. Then filed a bogus report that, tanked his rating, drivers are furious, turning to unions and the fair work commission for help, since new 2024 laws protect them from unfair shutdowns. The tribunals ruled against Uber multiple times, like ordering payouts for lost wages

1:02and forcing reactivations when humans ignore driver's sides. Recent cases show the pattern. One rider got back online after his rating dipped below 85% without a proper review and tribunals. Slammed Uber's illogical rush to automate. Labor law pros say it's skipping basic fairness, like chatting with the driver first. Americans are pushing platforms to own their glitchy systems amid rising violence against gig workers. But until Uber adds more human checks, drivers. Stay caught in the crossfire of bad rides and bad tech. That's your Sydney news today update, AI powered and always on.