The Ministry of Labor is to hold negotiations among stakeholders in Uber Technology Inc’s proposed acquisition of Delivery Hero SE’s Foodpanda business in Taiwan on May 29 in a bid to protect drivers’ rights, Minister of Labor Hsu Ming-chun (許銘春) said on Wednesday.
The three-party talks are to be held between Uber, Delivery Hero and the National Delivery Industrial Union, Hsu told reporters before a meeting at the legislature.
On Wednesday, Uber announced it plans to acquire Foodpanda Taiwan for US$950 million, subject to regulatory approval.
Photo: Taipei Times
The ministry and Fair Trade Commission made it clear immediately after the acquisition was announced that approval must take into serious consideration the rights of Taiwan’s 140,000 delivery drivers, Hsu said.
The platforms must make all fees and charging schemes clear and specify grievance mechanisms, as well as clarify whether drivers would need to change platforms, she said.
She vowed that the ministry would assist with the commission’s review and help the union express its position, including by passing along the content of the May 29 meeting.
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A joint declaration by Pacific leaders was reissued yesterday morning with mentions of Taiwan removed after China slammed an earlier version as a “mistake” that “must be corrected.” After five days of talks in Tonga, a “cleared” communique was released on Friday that reaffirmed a 30-year-old agreement allowing Taiwan to take part in the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF). However, the wording immediately raised the ire of Chinese diplomats, who piled pressure on Pacific leaders to amend the document. The forum reissued the communique without explanation yesterday morning, conspicuously deleting the paragraph concerning the bloc’s “relations with Taiwan.” “It must be a
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