Uber Eats and other food service companies sued the City of New York City on Thursday over plans to increase the minimum wage for delivery drivers.
Pay for the workers is set to increase to US$17.96 per hour under the new rules, which are due to come into effect on 12 July.
New York City’s delivery workforce is around 60,000 strong and the average wage for a driver is around US$7.09 an hour.
In response to the plans, the leading delivery services are trying to get a temporary restraining order to avoid paying the new wages, claiming the increases would cause prices for customers to rise.
An Uber spokesperson warned of the risks, saying: “The city’s entire rule depends on the false assumption that restaurants make no money on deliveries.
“It must be paused before damaging restaurants, consumers and the couriers it purports to protect.”
Other delivery firms which filed lawsuits include DoorDash, Grubhub and New York-based Relay Delivery.
Vilda Vera Mayuga, commissioner at the New York consumer and worker protection department, claims now is the time companies should offer workers “fair pay for their labour”.
She said: “These workers brave thunderstorms, extreme heat events and risk their lives to deliver for New Yorkers — and we remain committed to delivering for them.”