Thousands of drivers on popular ride-share apps Uber, Bolt, and Addison Lee plan to log off and strike on Valentine’s Day across the country.
Through the log-off, drivers and unions are hoping to bring attention to the poor pay, insecure work, and lack of safety measures that they must face in their daily work.
Sparked by Addison Lee driversin the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB), the strike action gained traction in cities like London, Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff and Brighton, and will take place from 4pm-10pm on Friday 14 February.
Uber driver Saifullah Hussainkhel said: “These apps are destroying people’s lives.
“What kind of lives are we leading if we don’t have the time to see our families, to exercise, to rest, or take a single holiday?
“My GP has just put me on antidepressants because the longer and longer hours on the road are affecting my mental health.
“We can’t afford to stay silent any longer.”
Hussainkhel claimed he has to work 30 hours a week just to cover his driving costs before he starts earning money to take home for his family.
Legally, drivers across all three apps are considered workers and must receive at least the National Living Wage, which is currently £11.44 but will rise to £12.21 in April.
A BBC investigation revealed Uber drivers’ earnings per hour had not increased proportionally to the cost of living, and there was still a severe lack of transparency over the app’s commission policy.
In an experiment conducted during the interview where a fake ride was called, the £7.90 fare quoted to the user was much higher than the drivers’ fares which showed as low as £4.70.
A Google search pulls up websites which claim that Uber’s commission rate is 25%, though there is no clear figure on the company’s site itself.
Bolt says they take 15-20%, while there is no direct number on Addison Lee’s site either, with employees’ Indeed reviews claiming that commission was high and there were times they would work just to cover the rental fee for driving the company’s vehicle.
An anonymous Addison Lee driver said: “Everywhere you look in the Addison Lee workforce you find health problems, depression, and debt.
“The bosses have no humanity. Just last month they were found lying in court to try and deny us workers’ rights.
“We know they will not choose to make our lives easier until we force them to.
“It’s incredible to see that a logoff campaign which began with Addison Lee drivers back in September last year, has now inspired drivers working across all apps in cities all over the UK to stand up, join the movement, and claim back what we deserve.”
The IWGB alleged many of their drivers are working up to 80-hour weeks to make a living, and the union are calling for the introduction of safety measures for drivers like rider ID verification, complaint tracking systems, and support for victims of assault.
An IWGB union member, Bolt driver Gabriel Bringye, was stabbed and killed in Tottenham in February 2021 when a group of then-teenagers plotted to steal his car.
His family set up Gabriel’s Campaign for Driver Safety to call for increased security measures for cab drivers and highlight the risk of assault for drivers who work alone in the same confined space as passengers.
Bolt noted they had introduced some safety measures, including an in-app Emergency Assist button which connects to emergency services and Bolt’s safety team, and vehicle monitoring which allows Bolt to detect any unexpected and excessively long stops during rides.
They also held a West Midlands roundtable event last year with drivers, unions and transport bodies to discuss driver wellbeing and have further events planned in the future.
A Bolt spokesperson said: “Feedback is important to us, and we continue to engage with drivers directly through surveys, community events, and in-person forums.”
IWGB Private Hire Drivers’ Chair Nader Awaad said: “Up and down the country, drivers whose lives have been torn apart by apps like Uber are saying the same thing – it’s time for us to take back the wheel.
“As private hire drivers, we offer a great service to the customers and form an essential part of the transport system.
“We deserve to be paid well and to have our jobs protected. Instead, industry profits have soared at our expense.
“The government and licensing authorities have abandoned us to the mercy of these companies.
“We are left with no choice but to come together and take action ourselves.
“This log-off on 14 February has reignited drivers’ faith that by uniting we can transform this industry for the better.”
There will be a demonstration and motorcade outside London’s City Hall at 4:30pm on Friday alongside a candlelight vigil for Bringye to commemorate the four years since his death and demand better protections in his name.
An Addison Lee spokesperson said: “We have a close working relationship with our drivers, which was further reinforced in our recent bi-annual driver satisfaction survey.
“We do not expect to see any disruption to volumes or service levels on 14 February.”
Uber was contacted for comment.
Picture credit: Free to use from Unsplash
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