Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the request of Senators Sheldon and Bilyk, I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

  (i) on Sunday, 27 September 2020, Mr Dede Fredy died following a crash with a car three days earlier while working for UberEats, and

  (ii) on Wednesday, 30 September 2020, Mr Xiaojun Chen died after being involved in a crash with a bus in Zetland on 29 September 2020 while working for Hungry Panda;

(b) expresses its condolences to the families and loved ones of Mr Dede Fredy and Mr Xiaojun Chen; and

(c) recognises that the deaths of Mr Dede Fredy and Mr Xiaojun were workplace deaths and should be treated as such.

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government notes the tragic deaths of Mr Fredy and Mr Chen and extends its condolences to their families during this difficult time. However, the government notes that the Commonwealth, states and territories are each responsible for implementing, regulating and enforcing work health and safety laws in their jurisdictions. Consequently, whether these were workplace deaths and whether this notion encourages a certain treatment of these matters are ultimately questions for the New South Wales regulator, SafeWork NSW and the New South Wales police.

Mehreen Faruqi (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Mehreen Faruqi (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Greens support this motion and we express our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of Dede Fredy and Xiaojun Chen. They died at work in a gig economy, which overwhelmingly means insecure work, low pay and utterly diminished industrial rights for workers. Three-quarters of delivery riders earn below the minimum wage. Many gig economy workers are migrants and on temporary visas and are vulnerable to exploitation and wage theft. Our employment laws don't protect workers. They put protecting corporations and their profits ahead of the rights of all workers to be safe at work and treated fairly. We must close the loopholes that allow companies to exploit and endanger gig economy workers. Every worker has the right to come home safe from their workplace.

Question agreed to.