Thousands of drivers from Uber, Bolt, and Addison Lee will participate in a nationwide strike on Valentine's Day, organized by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB). The strike will occur from 16:00 to 22:00 GMT across the UK. The drivers are demanding better pay and improved working conditions, highlighting their struggles with long hours and insufficient earnings.
Vasilica Dumitrescu, a 51-year-old driver, exemplifies the demands of the striking workers. She works seven days a week, clocking over 80 hours to make ends meet. Dumitrescu shared her frustrations:
"The customers, they are with us," she added. "Every driver is upset because they don't earn enough. They ask you how much you get from this trip and are surprised at how little we get." – Vasilica Dumitrescu
Helio Santos, another driver participating in the strike, has been driving with Uber for three years. Despite spending 70-80 hours online weekly, he only manages to drive for 25-30 hours due to low demand. Santos expressed his dissatisfaction:
"This is unsustainable," he said. "Fees are too low, there is no safety, no transparency. Uber keeps ignoring us." – Helio Santos
The IWGB claims that since drivers became classified as "workers" under the law, their conditions have worsened. The union is calling for fairer pay, more secure work, and enhanced safety measures for drivers.
"Alongside demands for fairer pay and more secure work, the union is calling for the introduction of safety measures for drivers such as rider ID verification, complaint tracking systems, and support for victims of assault." – IWGB
In response, Uber has defended its working conditions by guaranteeing its drivers at least the national living wage. An Uber spokesperson stated:
"On average, drivers across the UK earn more than £30 per hour when taking trips on Uber," the spokesperson said. – Uber spokesperson
Furthermore, Uber asserts that its drivers benefit from industry-leading protections, including holiday pay and access to pensions.
"They also have access to industry-leading protections such as holiday pay, a pension and free sickness and injury cover, as well as formal representation through GMB Union." – Uber spokesperson
Bolt has committed €100 million over the next three years to support safety initiatives for its drivers. The company has implemented an in-app emergency assist button and provides additional passenger information prior to pick-up.
"In recent years, it has introduced an in-app emergency assist button and provided additional passenger information prior to pick-up, the spokesperson added." – Bolt spokesperson
Addison Lee also emphasized its strong relationship with drivers and does not anticipate disruptions on February 14.
"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 February 14." – Addison Lee
The strike coincides with a vigil for Gabriel Bringye, a Bolt driver killed in 2021. The IWGB stated that this vigil marks four years since his death and serves as a plea for better driver protections.