One of Australia’s largest Christian churches has indefinitely suspended staff from using Uber and Uber Eats over concerns about the ride-sharing platform’s treatment of drivers and delivery riders.

The Uniting Church in Australia’s Victoria and Tasmania Synod said staff should only use Uber for work purposes when taxis and other ride-sharing apps were unavailable. It cited the treatment of drivers as independent contractors, resulting in many earning below the minimum wage and working excessive hours. 

“The Uniting Church has a long history of seeking to ensure that people get fair and just treatment in their employment,” Synod Moderator David Fotheringham said in a statement.

Uber Technologies Inc, which has grappled with complaints about how it treats drivers for years, said it was “committed to improving standards for independent contractors in the gig economy”.

“While no doubt well intentioned, this characterisation is unfortunate and not representative of the way the Uber platform operates,” the company said in a statement. “We welcome the opportunity to discuss these concerns directly with the church.”

Uber’s treatment of drivers came to a head in February last year when a landmark UK Supreme Court ruling forced the company to recognise a group of drivers as “workers”, entitling them to a minimum wage, vacation pay and other benefits. Similar claims followed, and ultimately Uber said it would extend the classification to all of its UK drivers.

 - Bloomberg