Tribunal rules on 3 disputes involving e-hailing drivers

On August 8th, the Gig Workers Tribunal ruled on three disputes involving e-hailing drivers and a platform operator. The human resources ministry praised the tribunal's balanced approach in protecting gig workers' rights, ensuring passenger safety, and safeguarding the interests of the e-hailing platform.

The first case involved a driver who received RM2,000 in compensation from GrabCar Sdn Bhd after a partial ruling in his favor. The tribunal upheld the driver's claim related to earnings from Saver bookings and Cashback and Advance Booking incentive.

In the second case, the tribunal found three breaches of the Gig Workers Act 2025. These included the platform's temporary booking pauses, booking cancellation quotas, and the Auto Accept system. The tribunal recommended improvements for better driver communication, such as informing drivers about the type of service and earnings before accepting a booking, and providing a reasonable and safe window to cancel.

The third case concerned GrabCar's decision to permanently deactivate a driver's account due to three incidents of misconduct towards passengers. These incidents involved inappropriate conversations, intimidating or threatening behavior, and unwarranted personal questions. While deactivating a driver's account can impact their livelihood, the tribunal emphasized that passenger safety and wellbeing should not be compromised.

The ministry stated that the tribunal's decisions demonstrated a balanced approach in upholding gig workers' rights, ensuring passenger safety, and protecting the interests of e-hailing platform operators.