Ep.22 – Reading Text – Uber says ‘gig economy’ law will not hurt business
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Ep.22 – Reading Text – Uber says ‘gig economy’ law will not hurt business
Teacher Ca: Podcast – Aprenda Inglês Online. The best way to improve your English.
Hi there. Welcome to Aprenda Inglês Online Podcast, eu sou a Teacher Ca. Hoje falaremos de um
texto que abordará um mercado em crescimento, que está chamando atenção de muita gente. A
Gig Economy, que é um tipo de trabalho que não possui carteira assinada. É um mercado que
abrange empresas que contratam profissionais mais independentes para serviços temporários
sem nenhum vínculo empregatício. Um freelancer, um autônomo.
O nosso episódio de hoje é focado na leitura, no ‘listening’, deixando você atualizado também com
artigos atuais. Você pode acompanhar o ‘reading’ acessando o link na descrição. Vamos ouvir?
M: Let it begin.
Adrian: Uber says gig economy; law will not hurt business
Lawmakers passed Assembly Bill 5 (AB5) on Tuesday, a move designed to pave the way for so-
called “gig workers” to become employees and gain additional rights.
But Uber told reporters it “strongly believed” it met the new law’s requirements for legally
classifying workers as “contractors” instead.
Nevertheless, the firm said it had, along with rival ride-sharing service Lyft, invested $60m (£49m)
in campaigning for alternative measures to be introduced.
Uber said in a conference call on Wednesday it was prepared to spend more, and had hired the
“best campaign team available”.
AB5 passed California’s Senate 92 votes to 11 late on Tuesday night, and is expected to be signed
into law by state governor Gavin Newsom imminently.
The bill could have big implications not just for rideshare firms, but other app-based services
offering “gigs” to workers, such as DoorDash and Postmates.
Teacher Ca: Uber afirma que a lei da economia informal/gig economy, nãpo afetará os negócios. O
Uber tem afirmado que essa nova lei californiana, não a forçará a mudar a forma como trata seus
motoristas.
A AB5 foi aprovada no Senado da Califórnia com 92 votos favoráveis e 11 contra.
Adrian: In an opinion piece for the Sacramento Bee newspaper earlier this month, Governor
Newsom endorsed the bill, saying companies such as Uber – today valued at $56bn – were abusing
employment law and making working people worse off.
“Workers lose basic protections like the minimum wage, paid sick days and health insurance
benefits,” he wrote. “Employers shirk responsibility to safety net programs like workers’
compensation and unemployment insurance. Taxpayers are left to foot the bill.”
AB5 demands that workers be considered employees unless companies can prove the worker is
“free from the control and direction of the hiring entity in connection with the performance of the
work”.
Critics of gig economy firms say app-based work – which assigns jobs and attaches a rate of pay –
mean workers are not “free from control”. The companies, however, argue that because workers
can determine when they work, where they work and for how long, they are “free”.
AB5 will force Uber and other firms like it to go through what’s known as the ABC test, which
assesses the question of whether or not companies can consider their workers contractors rather
than employees.
“Just because the test is hard doesn’t mean that we will not be able to pass it,” said Tony West,
Uber’s top lawyer, on Wednesday.
Teacher Ca: Shirked responsibility/Evitando responsabilidade
Os trabalhadores perdem direitos básicos como, por exemplo, o salário mínimo, já que os
empregadores se esquivam das responsabilidades trabalhistas. A AB5 forçará a Uber, e outras
empresas como ela, a passar por um teste que avaliam se essas empresas podem ou não
considerar seus trabalhadores como contratados como Freelancers ou como empregados.
Adrian: The firm’s confidence will likely be tested when AB5 comes into force on 1 January 2020.
Under the law, cities in California can sue Uber (or other gig-economy firms) directly if they feel
the firm is not complying – previously it was up to individual drivers.
Analysts have predicted devastating consequences for gig economy firms’ bottom line if they are
forced to reclassify workers into employees. When asked, Uber would not offer any guidance to
investors over how damaging such a change would be. The firm lost just over $5.2bn in its last
reported quarter. Lyft, valued at $15bn, lost $2.3bn in the same period.
The companies warned they would look to implement more traditional work patterns.
“Flexibility of drivers would be limited,” Uber’s Mr West said.
“Drivers would not be able to choose to sign on when they wanted. Not only would they have to
work shifts, they would be deployed to areas, rather than choosing where to pick up a fare.”
He added: “Based on what drivers tell us, they are not changes they would welcome.”
Instead, Uber – along with Lyft – has proposed drafting alternative legislation as a compromise. It
would guarantee a minimum wage of $21 per hour, and offer the chance for sectoral collective
bargaining, allowing workers across the rideshare industry to band together in negotiations.
The compromise, yet to be drafted, does not look likely to sway California’s lawmakers.
“Billionaires who say they can’t pay minimum wages to their workers say they will spend tens of
millions to avoid labour laws,” Ms Gonzalez wrote on Twitter last week.
Teacher Ca: Limiting flexibilty / Limitando a Flexibilidade
Os motoristas não poderiam mais decidir quando eles querem ou não trabalhar, teriam que
trabalhar em turnos, em áreas especificadas e não teriam o direito de escolher a região que
querem atuar. Segundo Ms Gonzalez que escreveu ironicamente em seu Twitter, “milionários que
dizem não poder pagar salários mínimo para seus trabalhadores, gastarão dezenas de milhões
para evitar leis trabalhistas.
Adrian: “Just pay your damn workers!” she added.
Teacher Ca: Esse foi o ‘Reading’ com o tutor Adrian do Cambly, C-A-M-B-L-Y, a melhor plataforma
online para quem quer aprender e praticar Inglês com nativos a qualquer hora do dia. Acesse o
site do Cambly ou baixe o aplicativo no seu celular, e faça uma aula totalmente grátis com o
código Teacherca, Teacher C-A; tudo junto. O Cambly também pensou no seu pequeno, com
metodologia voltada para seu filho. Com o Cambly Kids, seu filho também aprende Inglês com
nativos em casa e também a qualquer hora do dia.
Teacher Ca: Deixe seu like, comentários, sugestões e se inscreva no canal. Eu sou a Teacher Ca e
aguardo vocês no próximo episódio. Take care.
You can, you Cambly.
