Australia's tens-of-thousands of gig workers are being granted more rights, but they may also need more safe spaces. Rider stress and fatigue have been linked to several accidents and deaths in Sydney, and governments are looking at legal reforms. And in Melbourne physical relief is being trialled, in what the city's council says is a national first.
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00:00 This is frenetic and treacherous work.
00:05 All sorts of traffic snarls, dangers, you know, random abusive people in the street.
00:10 You're constantly running around.
00:12 And injuries and fatalities happen.
00:14 I've definitely fallen off my bike multiple times, but I have seen other riders pull up at the hospital and injure themselves.
00:21 Australia has an estimated 250,000 gig workers and delivery drivers are the most visible.
00:26 It's accessible work for students, migrants and anyone needing a second or third job.
00:31 We've seen it grow ninefold.
00:34 It's worth about $6.3 billion to our economy across Victoria.
00:40 And it's more than just burgers and chips.
00:42 I'm also doing groceries, so big supermarkets. I do pharmaceuticals.
00:48 But the hours can be long and conditions brutal.
00:51 I rode through bushfire smoke back when the bushfires happened, floods, all sorts of stuff.
00:58 They don't have access to the same basic amenities that practically every other worker does.
01:03 This gig worker's hub is changing that.
01:07 It's somewhere to use the toilet, a clean toilet. That can mean something for these guys.
01:13 This trial site is a physical lunchroom for a workforce without an office space.
01:18 Hey, how's it going?
01:19 It's run by a former gig worker and architecture student along with the Melbourne City Council.
01:24 An opportunity to charge your batteries and your phones. We've got powerpoints here.
01:29 You can access free drinks, free food.
01:32 The council says it's the first space of its kind in Australia for gig workers.
01:36 It just gives you a bit of dignity.
01:37 We want our gig workers to know that we value them.
01:41 This hub isn't just a sanctuary from the rain and a place to get some free food or free kit.
01:46 It's a place to build community, build understanding, have conversations, even about workers' rights.
01:52 And there are lectures here about sick pay, which is now a right for gig workers in Victoria.
01:57 The hub is open twice a week for the rest of the year and if successful, could be expanded.
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