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The stunning success of Uber/Lyft shows that there's a massive segment of consumers who were not satisfied by traditional taxi services and prefer the alternati

The stunning success of Uber/Lyft shows that there's a massive segment of consumers who were not satisfied by traditional taxi services and prefer the alternative Uber/Lyft offer. There's also a large contingent of drivers willing to become drivers under the current model. All of them seem to disagree with you on your opinion that things were fine, actually, just the way they were before Lyft/Uber arrived. I agree with the argument I think you're implying: there's a minimum level of protection that everyone should be afforded. Though your assumption that your employer must be the source of those protections seems unwarranted. If people deserve healthcare then surely unemployed people also deserve healthcare. If people deserve a minimum standard of living, some kind of minimum wage, then surely even the unemployed deserve that minimum standard. And once even the unemployed have these protections, what does it matter whether you're an employee or a contractor? Why not attack the problem from that direction?

lmm 6y ago
> Why not attack the problem from that direction? This is the workers' rights version of a gadgetbahn. I am arguing for universal healthcare and for central government to cover things like medical leave and childcare. As and when that's actually implemented, I might support some relaxation of the standards for when people are considered as employees (though I suspect Uber probably wouldn't care whether these people were classified as contractors if it didn't mean they were on the hook for healthcare and benefits). In the meantime, the laws that we currently have are that employers are required to provide these things; Uber needs to step up and fulfil their legal obligations.
JAlexoid 6y ago
Well... Taxi drivers are just small private businesses that are loosely associated, in practice. Making drivers that take contracts from Uber employees of Uber is so unreasonable, that even in London black cab drivers aren't treated the same way.
chriswarbo 6y ago
> All of them seem to disagree with you on your opinion that things were fine, actually, just the way they were before Lyft/Uber arrived. FYI that is not my opinion and I never claimed any such thing.

lmm 6y ago

> Why not attack the problem from that direction? This is the workers' rights version of a gadgetbahn. I am arguing for universal healthcare and for central government to cover things like medical leave and childcare. As and when that's actually implemented, I might support some relaxation of the standards for when people are considered as employees (though I suspect Uber probably wouldn't care whether these people were classified as contractors if it didn't mean they were on the hook for healthcare and benefits). In the meantime, the laws that we currently have are that employers are required to provide these things; Uber needs to step up and fulfil their legal obligations.

JAlexoid 6y ago

Well... Taxi drivers are just small private businesses that are loosely associated, in practice. Making drivers that take contracts from Uber employees of Uber is so unreasonable, that even in London black cab drivers aren't treated the same way.

chriswarbo 6y ago

> All of them seem to disagree with you on your opinion that things were fine, actually, just the way they were before Lyft/Uber arrived. FYI that is not my opinion and I never claimed any such thing.