1 00:00:00,570 --> 00:00:10,270 As he's moved to the U.K. from Afghanistan in 2015 to join his family, finding himself in London, he tried many different types of work. 2 00:00:10,270 --> 00:00:16,780 Before a year ago, becoming a new driver. Now he works on three different right platforms. 3 00:00:16,780 --> 00:00:24,250 Having completed nearly 4000 trips, but he still remembers his first ever ride as if it were yesterday. 4 00:00:24,250 --> 00:00:33,520 Well, to be honest, I was in a panic situation because I was my first child as a driver in England, especially in London. 5 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:37,570 And I was I was really excited. 6 00:00:37,570 --> 00:00:42,400 And at that time, same boat. And I receive. 7 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:50,200 I mean, a job I accepted and I was looking at myself and I was like, she does have that. 8 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:57,580 I went there and the customer had some staff, too. I mean, to load on the car, I was thinking, oh, it's been gone. 9 00:00:57,580 --> 00:01:01,300 Do I have to be like a van man or something like that? 10 00:01:01,300 --> 00:01:07,060 I try. I had the customer and at the middle of the journey I thought to talk with the customer. 11 00:01:07,060 --> 00:01:12,970 I said, You're my first customer. And I start very new and you are my first customer. 12 00:01:12,970 --> 00:01:16,480 And the customer was quite like he was he was telling. 13 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:20,200 Oh, yes. You drive very smooth. Nice. I like your car. 14 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:27,700 December at the end of their trip, I got depressed when I was like I said, oh, well, that's good. 15 00:01:27,700 --> 00:01:31,870 Thirty two pound plus five there. So that was no bad. 16 00:01:31,870 --> 00:01:36,150 And I said, oh, if it is like this, I'll keep continue. 17 00:01:36,150 --> 00:01:46,940 And then like that was the way that was. There was the things that encouraged me to do to work a little bit more and focus on what I'm doing now. 18 00:01:46,940 --> 00:01:53,990 And yeah, that was that was my first journey, which I thought was really I mean, 19 00:01:53,990 --> 00:02:00,410 I'm Ruby Waran and this is if I could cast a dive into the lives of the people working in the gate. 20 00:02:00,410 --> 00:02:05,100 Me. In this episode, we look at conditions. 21 00:02:05,100 --> 00:02:11,640 What's it like working during a pandemic? Serving your community and keeping the country running? 22 00:02:11,640 --> 00:02:16,950 How do you deal with sickness and the need to self isolate in the absence of official protection? 23 00:02:16,950 --> 00:02:21,490 And how do you navigate the daily difficulties you encounter on the streets? 24 00:02:21,490 --> 00:02:32,920 When no one's got your back. As easy as work to the right. 25 00:02:32,920 --> 00:02:42,160 How driver for over a year now? Generally, he's been happy with the work and with his wage, which he says averages around 20 pounds an hour. 26 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:49,540 But since the pandemic, workers become increasingly scarce and he's struggled to make a living. 27 00:02:49,540 --> 00:02:55,060 I asked Aziz what his motivations were for working during the pandemic. 28 00:02:55,060 --> 00:03:01,750 Well, as a human being, we have to respect each other and we have to be kind to each other. 29 00:03:01,750 --> 00:03:09,850 And when I see the situation that the people, especially the stuff, they already put their life at risk. 30 00:03:09,850 --> 00:03:17,230 And I was thinking as a human being, why I'm not going to help. And so I went out and I helped them. 31 00:03:17,230 --> 00:03:24,760 I transport them. I take them. Like, most of the time we we take like 80 percent of our job. 32 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:33,910 And it's just life and transport people as well, like the bus drivers to train drivers and some other misses. 33 00:03:33,910 --> 00:03:42,820 I mean, essential. Yeah. And do you feel like IBA supported you during the pandemic? 34 00:03:42,820 --> 00:03:52,800 Unfortunately, I can say now. Like I had at the beginning of the pandemic, I had a favour and I have a coughing as well. 35 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:57,780 And I called the GP and GP said that you have to be sort of isolate yourself. 36 00:03:57,780 --> 00:04:04,110 And then they sent me a letter as well. The knife attack the letter and send them over. 37 00:04:04,110 --> 00:04:08,730 I mean, customer service at the end. They say that in the post. 38 00:04:08,730 --> 00:04:15,330 I mean, they suspend my account for 14 days and at the end I receive hundred twenty pounds. 39 00:04:15,330 --> 00:04:20,550 And I was in my opinion, that was nothing for 14 days. 40 00:04:20,550 --> 00:04:31,860 You sent me hundred twenty pound. And basically everybody knows and this is like as per the employment policies and rules like we need to have at 41 00:04:31,860 --> 00:04:39,090 least a sick leave because we're working for over platform and we give them lots of benefits like they charge us. 42 00:04:39,090 --> 00:04:47,800 Twenty five percent dementia. So at least from that money, they should have helped us the money which we earned for them. 43 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:55,210 Similar to many drivers as each has experienced violence at work and found the platforms unwilling to support him. 44 00:04:55,210 --> 00:05:01,810 I had a customer. I receive a job. Months ago, months ago, I received a job. 45 00:05:01,810 --> 00:05:09,310 When I went there, there were four Tanager boys that they took it and one off my. 46 00:05:09,310 --> 00:05:18,850 And when I went to the edge, I mean, to pick up area. I see that there are four customers and they don't look good to me. 47 00:05:18,850 --> 00:05:22,180 They come and say, I said the name. You said. 48 00:05:22,180 --> 00:05:29,490 Yes, I am. I said, I can only take you three of you guys because at 19 we are not allowed to have four passenger cars. 49 00:05:29,490 --> 00:05:33,910 So if three of you will come to my car, I'm happy to take you guys. 50 00:05:33,910 --> 00:05:38,170 Otherwise, I will cancel the trip. You will not get charge. 51 00:05:38,170 --> 00:05:42,280 So this is this is a help from my side. Otherwise, I have to show. 52 00:05:42,280 --> 00:05:46,840 I have to, like, cancel, you know, show which I can get paid for it. 53 00:05:46,840 --> 00:05:54,550 But I do a favour for you guys. I would just cancel the trip so you can request an Excel, which is being a car. 54 00:05:54,550 --> 00:06:00,370 And I'm doing over X sir. They said no, you have to take us. 55 00:06:00,370 --> 00:06:12,820 I said, I don't have to take you. And then they started an argument and my right side when my window was let down. 56 00:06:12,820 --> 00:06:20,860 So I was about to touch my phone to call some police or something because they became a Levithan. 57 00:06:20,860 --> 00:06:27,550 So they just they grabbed my phone. And the other guy punch on the. 58 00:06:27,550 --> 00:06:35,340 I mean, on this glass, the other one went and just take that. 59 00:06:35,340 --> 00:06:39,810 So I was in a panic, I said, and they showed the knife as well. 60 00:06:39,810 --> 00:06:43,830 I see the knife. Then I was terrified and I said, what's going on? 61 00:06:43,830 --> 00:06:50,040 And I was in a parking lot, like, I just drive very fast in order to escape from these guys. 62 00:06:50,040 --> 00:06:59,730 But when I went there, that was close. So I just U-turn back and these guys are running after me. 63 00:06:59,730 --> 00:07:08,160 Members of the public stepped in to include the police, but as he's lost his phone and his car sustained damage to the bumper. 64 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:16,740 After that, I called the company and the company suspend my account for one month during investigation and I called the police. 65 00:07:16,740 --> 00:07:21,060 And the sad part, which I haven't received any compensation for nothing. 66 00:07:21,060 --> 00:07:40,590 Neither from the pleas and no from the company which I was involved, like the loan company. 67 00:07:40,590 --> 00:07:46,960 And how does that make you feel when you don't get any support from the company? 68 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:53,260 Well, definitely. I wasn't supplying it and I was not happy. 69 00:07:53,260 --> 00:08:04,300 The company needs to at least give us appreciation, support to get a driver because that customer was interviewed by this company. 70 00:08:04,300 --> 00:08:14,010 I never knew. I never did. I never knew this customer. So because of based on the reference of the company and the company doesn't help me at all. 71 00:08:14,010 --> 00:08:18,070 And I fix my car. I lost my phone. And that was the thanks. 72 00:08:18,070 --> 00:08:26,970 I was really, really, really disappointed. And some time that that that time I was thinking to leave this to be ours. 73 00:08:26,970 --> 00:08:33,250 Versus not worth it because you're it your life. I mean, your life is at risk. 74 00:08:33,250 --> 00:08:38,290 And there's not no safety at all. This is what I. 75 00:08:38,290 --> 00:08:49,420 I think that's what happened to me. And it happened to so many driver. 76 00:08:49,420 --> 00:08:53,110 Thanks to all these for sharing his story. 77 00:08:53,110 --> 00:09:02,400 Many workers in the gig economy experience risks within the course of their work, from violence and intimidation to sickness and injury. 78 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:08,770 Current structure of keek work means that platforms have no legal obligation to reduce the risks that work effects, 79 00:09:08,770 --> 00:09:14,560 nor to compensate them when they cannot work at the Fair Work Foundation. 80 00:09:14,560 --> 00:09:22,240 We believe the platform should take a proactive approach to ensuring that workers are as safe as possible through provisions such as training, 81 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:25,230 wellbeing, initiative and health insurance. 82 00:09:25,230 --> 00:09:31,930 We're actively campaigning to improve the conditions for good workers around the world and hold platforms to account. 83 00:09:31,930 --> 00:10:01,077 You can find out more. This podcast was written and produced by There'll Be Way with Composition by Louis.