The last pod in our summer series takes a look at one of 2022's best pieces of investigative journalism.

Since it arrived on our streets over a decade ago, Uber has prided itself on being a "disrupter" with little regard for convention.

At the heart of their business model is a fanatical commitment to upend the employer/employee relationship and create a new army of sole contractors working on their tech platform with Uber having no responsibility for them, and with drivers having no rights and entitlements.

This high-tech exploitation has made it a massive company that has caused controversy wherever it goes.

In July of 2022 the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) dropped a trove of documents and emails from Uber's inner sanctum that reveal how the company was able to curry favour with governments and institutions around the world to achieve its aims.

The Uber Files are a stunning insight into how Uber inveigled their way into the realm of prime ministers, presidents, bureaucrats and power brokers to get things done. 

Fergus Shiel is the Managing Editor of the ICIJ. He oversaw the Uber Files project.

Fergus joined us on the line from his home in Washington DC to discuss the contents of the Uber Files and their implication.

 

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About the host

Francis Leach is Editor at Large for the Australian Council of Trade Unions

Twitter - @SaintFrankly

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