12 October 2018

Hundreds of Uber drivers protested outside of the company’s London headquarters earlier this week over poor pay and working conditions.

The employer has been embroiled in bitter disputes regarding the employment status of its drivers (those who have taken their case to tribunal have been found to be ‘workers’ rather than ‘self-employed’ and therefore eligible for the minimum wage and basic workers’ rights).

During this walkout, however, drivers were asking for an increase in fares and fair treatment by the company, which has been accused of bullying behaviour.

”Drivers are demanding an increase of fares to £2 per mile, a 10% reduction in commissions paid by drivers to Uber and an end to ‘unfair app deactivations’,” a spokesperson for the Independent Workers of Great Britain (IWGB) union, which organised the strike, said.

The 24-hour walkout involved hundreds of drivers gathering outside of Uber’s headquarters and many more being encouraged to log-off their apps so as not to cross the “digital picketline”. The general public were also urged not to hail Ubers during the strike.

“It was an incredibly strong showing from our drivers, with the protest growing by the minute," the IWGB said. “Up to a hundred drivers also showed up outside the Birmingham office.”