UBER UPDATE
UBER CUTS PAY AS IT GIVES WITH ONE HAND AND TAKES WITH OTHER, SAYS IWGB
On 28 June Uber announced that their longest serving drivers would see the service charge that they take from their pay, increase from 20% to 25%. This comes at a time when drivers are still desperately trying to recover from being hit hard by the pandemic. Last year drivers saw wages reduced to almost nothing while rental fees and other over- heads continued.
Uber has cynically claimed that the change, which comes into effect on the 13th July, is in order to bring equality amongst drivers as new starters are already charged the 25%. In the same breath as announcing the pay cuts, Uber made reference to the worker contracts and improved pay and conditions that they were forced to implement in light of the Supreme Court ruling. This latest move by Uber proves that while they have rolled out new contracts, they are now making drivers pay the costs. This is a big challenge to the voluntary recognition agreement recently signed by Uber, making it look even more like a PR stunt. Nader Awaad, UPHD Chair and Uber driver: “We all knew that Uber would raid the drivers pockets to pay for them breaking the law and depriving drivers of their rights, and here they are doing exactly that. They can more than afford to pay the hardworking drivers what they deserve, but instead it is the drivers who are being forced to pay out of the pittance they are making. This shows Uber cannot be trusted.” Hassan Haji, Uber driver and UPHD member said: “I have worked for Uber for six years and worked throughout the pandemic. We have seen pay drastically fall and the thanks I have got from Uber is a 5% pay cut that will further destroy my finances. I am trying hard to recover from the pandemic and Uber seems to just want to make things worse.”
UBER LAUNCHES LOCAL CAB PILOTS IN OXFORD, EXETER AND BEDFORD
Uber has announced pilots of its new product, ‘Local cab’, in Oxford, Exeter and Bedford. Anyone opening the Uber app there will now see the ‘Local cab’ option which will connect passengers to the taxi firm 001 Taxis Oxford, in Oxford; Apple Central Taxis and and Need-A-Cab Exeter, in Exeter; and Key Cars in Bedford. Uber’s app will integrate with Autocab’s iGo network, which has the potential to connect passengers with 80,000 private hire and taxi drivers in the UK. Ash Kebriti, UK General Manager, Uber, said: “Launching pilots of Local cab in these places is an exciting first step in connecting these riders with local operators so that even- tually the Uber app can be used anywhere in the country.”
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PORTSMOUTH DRIVERS PROTEST AT TOO MANY BROKEN PROMISES BY MANAGEMENT
Portsmouth Uber drivers recently had “a day off” to protest at too many broken promises by management. A spokesman told PHTM: “Uber’s policy, when entering a new market, has always been to undercut the main com- petitors in that area by between 8% and 12%. Nothing wrong with that. It makes good business sense to “buy” market share.” However, in Portsmouth (and many other cities) Uber has been content to let prices remain ridiculously low (in the view of local Uber drivers), whilst competitors have widened the gap by increasing their fares in line with gen- eral inflation.
In Portsmouth, Uber has failed to review prices (apart from some minor cosmetic adjustments) since they opened in the city on 13th November 2015. That’s nearly six years without a price review, despite Uber promising one two years ago. One of Uber’s major failings is the blatant lack of commu- nication with its, so called “Partner Drivers”. Nearly three years ago, Uber launched their “Uber Engage” programme, supposedly aimed at encouraging active dialogue with its driver base. After 18 months, Uber claimed the programme a great suc- cess, and announced plans to “roll out” the programme internationally.
Perhaps not unsurprisingly, the programme was swiftly binned (well before Covid-19 struck), leaving those drivers who had been involved for 18 months, attending numerous meetings - some with the most senior Management in Uber UK - with the distinct feeling that the whole exercise was cosmetic, and “management “ certainly didn’t like what they were hearing. Promises were made about several issues the drivers raised - including price reviews - but few were kept. Now drivers in Portsmouth have had enough, and in an attempt to draw the attention of management to their plight, they held their first “constructively coordinated day off” on Wednesday 9 June - the first of many planned. Whilst it’s seen as a chance to meet socially with other col- leagues, it is also intended to disrupt Uber’s activities locally. A spokesperson for the local group said: “Uber seems to care little about their drivers. We can’t even access anyone at management level to discuss concerns and grievances. As for sound bite statements made at the time of the recent management shuffle about ‘Championing the drivers’, that’s frankly laughable and beyond contempt.” PHTM understands that some other cities are in the same position and are watching Portsmouth and talking to them about coordinating similar “days off” on a much wider front.
JULY 2021
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