Uber strike: Drivers accuse company of ‘greed’ and ‘dangerous’ treatment

Striking Uber drivers have accused the taxi app company of “greed” and subjecting them to “dangerous circumstances”.

The workforce has warned of “overwork, declining mental health and families in great distress”, as an Uber union downed tools and staged a 24-hour walkout.

Drivers have today joined the wave of industrial action after the ​​App Drivers & Couriers Union (ADCU) called for a 24-hour national strike until midnight tonight.

The union for private hire drivers and couriers said today (Wednesday, June 22) that Uber must obey a Supreme Court ruling and pay all working time to drivers including standby time, as well as hike pay from £1.06 per mile to £2.50 per mile, or risk strike action.

ADCU is also demanding that Uber ends its practice of unfair dismissals and obey the UK GDPR laws ensuring drivers understand how they have been profiled and how their performance is managed.

In addition to the strike, around 400 drivers also staged a protest outside Uber’s offices in Aldgate Tower.

Abdurzak Hadi, ADCU London Chair said that Uber drivers have “never been worse off than they are right now”.

He told LondonWorld: “Drivers have been exposed to hyperinflation while Uber refuses to either obey the Supreme Court ruling which protects workers or raise fares and pay to offset inflation of their operating costs.

“This is beyond greed, Uber has placed its workforce in very dangerous circumstances and the result is drivers’ overwork, declining mental health and families in great distress.

“I implore the government to dismiss the Uber spin and urgently intervene to enforce the law against what is an increasingly out of control company.”

The union has called on Uber to comply with the Supreme Court ruling and pay drivers at least the minimum wage and holiday pay for all working time from log on to log off, as well as hike fares to £2.50 per mile and £0.20 per minute.

The strikes threaten to add to the travel chaos caused around the UK by widespread rail strikes this week, after rail and Tube unions staged a walkout yesterday, (Tuesday, June 21).

Further strikes are expected by rail workers tomorrow and Saturday.

An Uber spokesperson said: “The ADCU represents a tiny proportion of active drivers on Uber.

“For over a year now, GMB Union has served as the voice of drivers in the UK following our historic recognition agreement which helped secure new worker protections including holiday pay and access to a pension plan.

“We do not expect any significant impact or disruption to our service.”