Is Uber fair?

It’s undeniable that Uber and other driver services have become an increasingly used mode of transport since it’s founding in 2009.

It’s less and less likely that you will come across an individual who has not utilised these services in some form; whether this be as a replacement taxi or to access to restaurant dishes from the comfort of home. The service is ever utilised and appreciated by society. The question is - does the Uber wage adequately provide a fair income?

The flexibility of Uber has supported a working arrangement for those seeking easy access to employment, low skilled labour or an opportunity to increase current income. Assuming one has a car that is aged 10 years or under, they can offer passenger transportation services. A car aged 10 years or older, still provides a chance to do meal delivery. Overall, it seems like a convenient system for both customer and service provider.

What sparked a critique on this system was a conversation with a family friend who described Uber and other services as nothing short of "wage theft”. Although this came across as an extreme perception, I couldn’t help but see the point he was trying to make. 

If an Uber eats delivery driver spends 10 minutes driving to a restaurant, 5 mins waiting for the food order, and 15 minutes driving to the home of the customer, this is 30 minutes of work. The total delivery cost they might obtain? $5.

Two trips in one hour, that’s $10. 

The minimum wage currently sits at $19.84. An Uber eats delivery driver, therefore, is earning about half of the minimum wage.

No one can deny the benefits of a user and employer friendly service, but as a society, shouldn't we be ensuring drivers earn a minimum wage?