The Transport Workers Union (TWU) has called for regulations to force self-driving taxi operators to keep a human workforce and a mandate that 95 per cent of rides are assigned to human drivers.
The union made a number of recommendations in its submission to the government’s inquiry into artificial intelligence.
The TWU wants each robotaxi operator to assign no less than 95 per cent of jobs to humans during ‘early deployment’, transitioning to no less than 85 per cent once fully established.
The TWU cited research from the John Curtin Research Centre (JCRC) which warns self-driving vehicles would threaten tens of thousands of jobs.
“… a human-less vehicle rollout without worker protections threatens 64,200 to 85,600 jobs, while even a conservative estimate on early-stage deployment could put $220 million in rideshare driver earnings at risk nationally,” the TWU said.
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As self-driving vehicle companies ramp up their efforts to begin fully autonomous vehicle trials in Australia, the TWU is campaigning for regulations to protect workers in a robotaxi-dominated future.
TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine warned that the government should learn from the “mistakes” of when rideshare and food delivery companies, such as Uber, entered the Australian market. Kaine said this time worker protection policies needed to be introduced early.
“Tech companies are banging down the door of our governments to force robotaxis into our communities en masse, without the Australian community having any say,” Kaine said.
“But make no mistake, a “let it rip” approach to this technology will see jobs trashed, huge safety risks for workers and the community, and profits directed back to Silicon Valley.
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“Instead of sucking billions out of Australia without providing any benefit in return, tech companies deploying robotaxis must also maintain a human fleet and funnel the overwhelming majority of work to humans. This will protect jobs and see profits reinvested in our community.
“Protections must be put in place before any autonomous vehicles are put on our roads, not after, so that we avoid the mistakes of the gig economy.”
The institution behind the union’s research, the JCRC, is named after WW2 era Labor Prime Minister John Curtain and closely aligned with the Labor party and trade unions.
Two leading self-driving vehicle developers, Elon Musk’s Tesla and Google’s Waymo, have been making quiet efforts to begin fully autonomous vehicle trials in Australia.
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Tesla has been showing off its Robotaxi at showrooms across Australia, a two seater vehicle with no steering wheel. However, it’s not yet permitted to operate on Australian roads.
Meanwhile, Waymo has been actively lobbying state and federal governments behind closed doors as part of attempts to begin trialling its self-driving taxis Down Under.
Waymo declined to comment on the TWU’s claims regarding potential job losses and public safety concerns. Waymo taxis already operate overseas in United States cities, including Los Angeles.
Tesla did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
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Unlike Tesla and Waymo, tech giant Uber already has a vast and established taxi presence in Australia, and is heavily investing in self-driving operations overseas.
Uber made its own submission to the inquiry, where it acknowledged self-driving cars would cause job losses.
In a letter to the committee, Uber’s Head of Public Policy for Australia and New Zealand, Polly Epov, advocated for a phased ‘hybrid’ approach to self-driving cars.
“Realising these benefits is not automatic, and the Committee’s inquiry is well placed to consider how Al-enabled technologies like AVs should be introduced responsibly,” Epov said.
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“In particular, our submission highlights: a phased, hybrid approach to deployment that gives workers time to adapt, rather than a too-rapid shift that risks abrupt displacement.”
Uber also submitted its ‘Unlocking the Promise of Autonomy’ report to the inquiry, a globally focused document published earlier this year, which stated self-driving cars would bring job losses.
“We owe people the truth. Autonomous vehicles may expand mobility overall, but they could also mean less work for many drivers over the long run, including people who rely on platform work as a flexible safety net,” Uber stated.
“We believe a phased transition to a hybrid model where drivers and autonomous vehicles work side-by-side offers the most promise for workers and greater reliability for consumers and cities.
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“A too-rapid shift to driverless fleets risks exposing gaps in today’s labor and benefit systems, pushing the burden onto the workers and communities to absorb the disruption.”
The report went on to detail scenarios where human drivers were still important, including for demand spikes such as major events, assisting the elderly and disabled.
“A hybrid network can encourage more drivers to earn to meet peak demand, special events, and emergencies without requiring permanent overcapacity,” Uber stated.
“That flexibility prevents a return to rigid, fixed-supply systems where service breaks down when demand spikes, and it ensures drivers remain a core part of the network.
“Without that flexibility, systems must build enough vehicle capacity to meet peak demand at all times, leading to larger, underutilized fleets and unnecessary strain on electric grids. It also preserves meaningful earning opportunities on our platform over the long-term rather than triggering sudden displacement.”
A mandated hybrid model combining human drivers and fully driverless vehicles would put potentially place Uber at an advantage over companies like Tesla and Waymo.
Waymo and Tesla would have to factor human drivers into their business model, rather than operating an entirely self-driving fleet. However Uber already has tens of thousands of human drivers using its platform.
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