With trucks whizzing past, Satyam Jayani says he felt unsafe on Melbourne’s roads, where he used to battle rain, hail or sweltering heat on any given day.
Before having his scooter stolen twice, Satyam was one of roughly 250,000 gig workers nationwide who are employed short-term and predominantly doing phone-app-driven work such as food delivery.
For more than a year, the 28-year-old from Gujarat, India struggled to navigate "troublesome" slippery roads or find a washroom, something other employees might take for granted.
"For scooter riders during raining time … if you become careless for a second, you fall down on the road," he told SBS News. "It's terrible."
"While we deliver the food we go everywhere, like different suburbs. So we are not near the home usually.
"We need a break, we need a washroom … But at night-time there is no place. Hardly you will find the place."
Satyam Jayani understands the difficulties for riders on the road and checks into the Gig Workers' Hub two to three times a week to offer help. Source: SBS News / Ewa Staszewska
The sanctuary on Melbourne's Bourke Street offers free drinks, snacks, charging stations, gear including bike lights, and water bottles.
It's also a one-stop shop for information about workers' rights developments such as for contractors in several languages.
Giving 'dignity' to an 'invisible' growing workforce
Founder Andrew Copolov, an architecture PhD student at Monash University, said the Gig Workers' Hub provides a physical space that helps a workforce often made "invisible" by the work they do.
"The workers go effectively unseen … You almost think of them as an extension of the platform itself, which can be a little bit dehumanising in a way," he told SBS News.
"There are delivery drivers who have come to me and spoken about feeling a little bit undervalued, dehumanised by the platforms that they're working on."
The Gig Workers' Hub has snacks, clean toilets and gear like new lights for delivery drivers on the go. Source: SBS News / Ewa Staszewska
Copolov was exposed to the reality of challenges faced by gig workers during his research into supply chains and his own brief stint as a delivery driver.
He said drivers face danger but also stressed the economic risks of working in a sector prone to underpayment and "quite insecure" work with uncertain hours.
Gig Workers' Hub founder Andrew Copolov is on a mission to help employees, particularly delivery drivers, get a reprieve from long days out in the elements. Source: SBS News / Ewa Staszewska
"I think it's important to be clear about what the space does and doesn't do. It doesn't immediately achieve better pay for workers or things like that," Copolov said.
"But what it does do is it lends a bit of dignity and it provides basic amenities. It gives people somewhere to go … start building a shared identity as gig workers.
"Once people meet each other and build community, I think that that's an essential step towards achieving some of those greater aims, like better security, better regulation, and so on."
Through a grass-roots campaign and the help of Melbourne City Council, Copolov opened a trial space in Queen Victoria Market in May. It was used by more than 50 workers in one week.
The Gig Workers' Hub on Bourke Street is conveniently located for delivery drivers coming in and out of Melbourne's CBD. Source: SBS News / .
Lord mayor Sally Capp said she was "delighted" the council could offer a space for "Gig Workers [who] play a vital role in keeping our city moving", adding that the council will look at how to support the gig economy into the future.
First port of call and a space to empower multilingual migrant workers
Neatly placed on the tables in the centre of the room are pamphlets in multiple languages, in recognition that many gig workers speak another language than English or are temporary residents.
Copolov said he even recruited bilingual friends to spread the word about the hub and its resources to as many people as possible.
"It's effectively a first port of call for [new migrants] who have only been here for a matter of weeks, and it's somewhere that they can come and get information about how to do gig work," he said.
While languages vary across different brochures, they are offered in Chinese, Spanish, Punjabi, Arabic, Malay, Hindi, Korean, Vietnamese and Italian.
The Hub offers resources in multiple languages, ensuring migrant workers know their rights. Source: SBS News / Ewa Staszewska
But first and foremost, as more and more people peek their heads through its doors, The Gig Workers' Hub is a haven where workers lean on one another.
"It's a sense of community," Copolov explains. "They might eat with each other … it's rare that people really come together across language barriers and meet."
Satyam agrees. He says his time as a delivery driver was lonely at times and he didn't speak to anyone outside the restaurants he ducked into for pick ups.
"The new guys come here, they feel homesickness or they don't have proper guidance. Where to live, where to apply for jobs," he said.
"If they come here, they get to know the people."
As we wrap up our chat and he spots a driver stopping on the side of the road, his face lights up and he walks over to tell them about the refreshments inside.
What are the delivery giants doing for the welfare of their workers?
Doordash has supported the Gig Workers' Hub, acknowledging its delivery riders need "a space to rest and recharge".
HungryPanda has sought to curb safety concerns with a shift from its blue and white uniform, to "highly visible" yellow and black colour scheme following expert safety consultation.
It also introduced "Panda Care Boxes" at restaurant partners containing supplies such as bandaids, sunscreen, nourishing snacks and hand sanitizer.
"These carefully crafted care boxes are designed to mirror the functionality of first aid kits, thoughtfully stocked with a range of items handpicked to prioritize the wellbeing and comfort of our delivery heroes," a spokesperson told SBS News.
Meanwhile MenuLog reiterated safety programs in its response, communication strategies and said it encouraged couriers to "stop and recharge", but without offering a location.
Uber advised SBS News that safety was a "top priority" and said it ensured staff had "access to an insurance support package" and "free safety gear which includes a safety vest, waterproof rain jacket, delivery bag and bike safety kits".
What's next for Australia's first Gig Workers' Hub?
Copolov hopes in the future he can extend the number of days its doors are open and offer workshops about resume building, interview advice or help workers find stable employment.
But until then, he wants all workers to know this is their space.
PhD student Andrew Copolov stressed that delivery drivers deserve to be treated with dignity ad respect. Credit: SBS news/Ewa Staszewska
"You can come here and enjoy it, rest, meet other people, and make this into one of the best facilities for gig workers in the world."
