Uber customers have been urged not to cross a “digital picket line” as British drivers with the app-based service staged their first coordinated national strike. Organisers of the 24-hour strike, which started at lunchtime on Tuesday – the latest part of a push to unionise the so-called gig economy – said many drivers logged off the app and stayed at home, while hundreds staged rallies outside the Uber offices in London, Birmingham and Nottingham. One reflection of the deep distrust between strikers and the company was a claim by those involved that Uber had intervened in the app’s pricing algorithm in order to generate a “surge” in prices to entice drivers to work. This was flatly denied by the company. The action follows an unprecedented joint national strike last week, branded the McStrike, by employees of companies including McDonald’s, Wetherspoons and TGI Fridays. The Uber strike was organised by United Private Hire Drivers (UPHD), a branch of the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain, which is demanding an end to what it describes as unfair deactivations of drivers, an increase in fares to £2 per mile from a current rate of £1.25 in London, and a 10% reduction in commissions paid by drivers. The company has defended its pay record, adding that it had recently introduced sickness, injury, maternity and paternity protections. Police arrived in force at Uber’s headquarters in east London after strikers and supporters tried to enter the building. Among those present was a driver who said anger had been building in recent months among his peers, who he said had been organising on WhatsApp. “I’ve worked for them for three years but it is getting harder to make ends meet,” said the man, who declined to give his name, citing fears that the company would “deactivate” him. He said he made between £500 and £600 a week for driving between 30 and 40 hours. “We’re in an extremely difficult position. I had an accident about two months ago and have trouble using one of my legs now, but the support from the company has not been there,” he said. Uber said the driver should be covered by sickness and injury protection it launched with the insurer AXA in June. Those involved in the strike are calling for the swift application of a 2016 tribunal judgment that rejected Uber’s classification of a group of drivers as independent contractors. Senior Labour figures backed the strike, including the party’s deputy leader, Tom Watsonand John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, who said: “I support this strike for better employment rights and urge others to respect the app picket line.” Stephen Hull, a Birmingham-based driver and union organiser, said: “There is mass discontent among drivers because the oversupply of vehicles and the way that drivers earn their money is making it almost impossible to make enough to live.” Hull, who has been driving for Uber for three and a half years, said it had initially been a good experience thanks to bonuses for hitting targets. “Then they would start to phase out the promotions and it just got harder and harder,” he added. It is no longer his main source of income. “If I was to rely on Uber, I would be working 12 hours a day, six days a week to be able to make enough to survive.” Uber said: “We are always looking to make improvements to ensure drivers have the best possible experience and can make the most of their time driving on the app. That’s why over the last few months we’ve introduced dozens of new features, including sickness, injury, maternity and paternity protections. An academic study last month found that drivers in London make an average of £11 an hour, after accounting for all of their costs and Uber’s service fee. “We continue to look at ways to help drivers increase their earnings and our door is always open if anyone wants to speak to us about any issues they’re having.” Tony Royle, a professor of industrial relations at the University of York, said the Uber strike and last week’s action against McDonald’s, TGI Friday’s and Wetherspoons were all symptomatic of a growing frustration at increasing income equality in the sectors concerned. “More strikes are likely as workers realise that collective action is an effective way to get their voices heard,” he said. The action is being watched from other countries where Uber has faced protests from drivers. Sarah Kaine, an associate professor at the University of Technology, Sydney, said that “alt-unionism” – sometimes involving spontaneous actions by workers that do not conform to the traditional pattern of strike behaviour or other industrial action – had been an interesting development. Separately, Uber was criticised by the chair of the London assembly’s transport committee for failing to attend hearings on Tuesday into the taxi and private hire market. “The transport committee was very disappointed that Uber was unwilling to attend,” said Caroline Pidgeon, a Liberal Democrat member. “If we are to make progress in building a better future for this industry, it is necessary for all the players in the market to engage proactively and publicly. We would have preferred to question them in public, rather than in private. Londoners deserve to hear all sides of the story on this divisive issue.” Uber was contacted for comment but has yet to respond.<doc-sep>Uber drivers in the United Kingdom (U.K.) are poised to stage a 24-hour strike starting on Tuesday to protest their pay and conditions. The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB), a union that represents Uber and other gig-economy platforms, said Uber drivers in three U.K. cities will be staging demonstrations, including outside of the company's London office, during the daylong strike. ADVERTISEMENT The strike was first reported by Tech Crunch. "Please do not cross the virtual picket line by logging into the Uber app as either a driver or passenger," the IWGB posted on the event page. The union said drivers are demanding an increase in fares per mile, a 10 percent reduction in commissions paid to Uber, and improved employment conditions that "respect worker rights for drivers." Uber drivers have made appeals to improve working conditions twice in U.K. courts and lost each time. "After years of watching take-home pay plummet and with management bullying of workers on the rise, workers have been left with no choice but to take strike action," chairman of an IWGB branch James Farrar told Tech Crunch.<doc-sep>Uber drivers are going on strike (Picture: REX/Shutterstock) Uber drivers in three UK cities will be going on strike today as they campaign for improved workers’ rights. The strike centres around how much drivers are paid and if they are entitled to holiday pay and has been organised by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain’s branch, the United Private Hire Drivers (UPHD). Capitol riot probe commission blocked from being created by Republicans Much of the frustration is over Uber not implementing a court ruling from 2016 which entitled drivers to minimum wage and holiday pay, but as the company is still appealing the decision so the ruling has not been enforced Drivers also want an increase in fairs to £2-a-mile, a 10% reduction in commissions the drivers must pay to Uber and an end to ‘unfair’ deactivations of drivers which stops them earning a living. The strike is being organised by the United Private Hire Drivers (UPHD) (Picture: PA Wire) When and where are the strikes taking place? The strike begins at 1pm on Tuesday, 9 October and is due to run for 24 hours. They will be taking place in London, Birmingham and Nottingham. Your app will still work during the strike (Picture: Getty images) Will you still be able to get an Uber during the strike? Not all drivers will be on strike in the three affected cities, so the app will still be available to use. However, James Farrar, the chair of the UPHD, has urged people to support the strike, saying: ‘We ask the public to please support drivers by not crossing the digital picket line by not using the app during strike time.’ Shadow chancellor John McDonnell added: ‘I support this strike for better employment rights and urge others to respect the app picket line.’ An Uber spokesperson said: ‘We’ve introduced dozens of new features, including sickness, injury, maternity and paternity protections. ‘We continue to look at ways to help drivers increase their earnings and our door is always open if anyone wants to speak to us about any issues they’re having.’ MORE : Grieving bride breaks down at fiance’s grave on day they were supposed to marry MORE : Facebook’s UK tax bill is £15.8 million – but it’ll only pay £7.4m<doc-sep>A UK union that represents the interests of Uber drivers has called a 24 hour strike for tomorrow. Ride-hailing giant Uber may not be comfortable thinking of the people who do the driving on its platform as workers but, in 2016, a UK employment tribunal ruled against its classification of a group of then current and former drivers as independent contractors after they brought a legal challenge; and again in 2017 when Uber lost its first appeal against the tribunal ruling. Though Uber’s appeal continues. Today one of the unions that campaigns on behalf of individuals providing labor on so-called ‘gig economy’ platforms, the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB), announced the strike action by Uber drivers. It said Uber drivers are demanding an end to unfair deactivations (described by the union as ‘de facto dismissals’); an increase in fares to £2 per mile (vs the current rate of £1.25p/m in London); a 10% reduction in commissions paid by drivers to Uber (currently 25% for UberX); and calling for Uber to immediately apply the tribunal judgement and implement “employment conditions that respect worker rights for drivers, including the payment of at least the minimum wage and paid holidays”. The union argues Uber drivers should be classified as Limb (b) workers under UK law, rather than ‘independent contractors’ as the company claims. It’s asking Uber users to respect the strike and not use the app tomorrow. UBER STRIKE TOMORROW!!! More information and details on solidarity rally outside Uber officers here. 👇👇👇https://t.co/kHFIW2eGtA#Ustrike https://t.co/2Ryywsr1bS — IWGB (@IWGBunion) October 8, 2018 The chair of the IWGB’s United Private Hire Drivers branch is James Farrar, who was one of the former Uber drivers who brought the 2016 tribunal action against the company. Commenting in a statement he said: “After years of watching take home pay plummet and with management bullying of workers on the rise, workers have been left with no choice but to take strike action. We ask the public to please support drivers by not crossing the digital picket line by not using the app during strike time.” The 24 hour strike will take place on October 9, from 1pm, in London, Birmingham and Nottingham. The IWGB said participating drivers will stage protests outside Uber’s offices in all three cities at the start of the strike. In a response statement emailed to TechCrunch an Uber spokesperson told us: “We are always looking to make improvements to ensure drivers have the best possible experience and can make the most of their time driving on the app. That’s why over the last few months we’ve introduced dozens of new features, including sickness, injury, maternity and paternity protections. An academic study last month found that drivers in London make an average of £11 an hour, after accounting for all of their costs and Uber’s service fee. We continue to look at ways to help drivers increase their earnings and our door is always open if anyone wants to speak to us about any issues they’re having.” A company spokesman also flagged up a number of changes Uber has made in the UK since the tribunal ruling, including expanding a free insurance product it offers to drivers and couriers including sickness, injury and maternity & paternity payments across Europe. The spokesman also pointed to a number of other changes it’s made, such as to paid waiting times, in-app tipping, and discounted access to savings products such as pensions and free skills courses. He also flagged Uber’s recent launch of a new driver app with real-time earnings tracking and access to data insights intended to help drivers boost their earnings; and a 24/7 telephone support line for drivers and passengers (which was actually a requirement of London’s transport regulator). The company also says it has formalized how it listens to and responds to driver feedback in every city it operates in — albeit, not well enough to steer off this latest strike. All the changes it flags might well be positive steps in terms of improving Uber drivers’ lot but if UK judges continue to find these folks should in fact be classified as workers Uber will find itself having to shell out a whole lot more money to keep operating in Europe. The company has previously said that if it had to provide all the ~50,000 ‘self-employed’ Uber drivers on its platform in the UK with workers’ rights it would cost its business “tens of millions” of pounds. Uber’s next appeal against the tribunal judgement will be heard later this month, on 30 and 31 October.<doc-sep>
Disgruntled Uber drivers are urging riders not to cross the 'digital picket line' as they go on strike. The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain has called on members of its United Private Hire Drivers branch to walk out for a full day. The strike will see Uber drivers in Birmingham, Nottingham and London on strike from 1pm today, Tuesday 9. Uber drivers protest outside the Uber head office in Aldgate, London (pictured) at the start of a 24 hour strike by drivers for better workers rights Regular customers of Uber seemed annoyed that the service wasn't going to be available Uber cabbies are demanding an increase in fares to £2 per mile, they are also striking to put an end to unfair deactivations. The drivers are demanding a 10 per cent reduction in commissions paid by the driver to the company, and for Uber to respect rulings on employee rights. It is still possible to hail an Uber on the app using drivers who are not participating. But demonstrators urged the public to not cross the 'digital picket line' and called on the public to join the protest. The UPHD Twitter account tweeted details of the strike and urged customers to not use the app James Farrar, Chair of the IWGB's UPHD branch said, 'After years of drivers taking home little pay and management bullying workers, drivers have been left with no choice but to take strike action. 'Please support drivers by not crossing the digital picket by not using the app.' Uber drivers encouraged members of the public to join the protests which are taking place up and down the country When approached for comment, an Uber spokesperson said: 'We are always looking to make improvements to ensure drivers have the best possible experience. 'We have introduced dozens of new features, including sickness, injury, maternity and paternity protections. Last month, a study showed that drivers in London make an average of £11 an hour after accounting all their costs and Uber's fees. 'Our door is always open if anyone wants to speak to us about any issues they're having.' Some called for solidarity in the strike and said that everyone needed to boycott the company IWGB are facing Uber at the Court of Appeal at the end of October for a landmark employment law case. Social media users were quick to comment on the strike, with some being annoyed that the company were on strike. One user with the Twitter handle @kennedyMsimpkin said: 'Uber driver are on strike ... brilliant.' Drivers also protested on Broad Street Birmingham (pictured) outside the Uber regional headquarters The UHPD also Tweeted to inform social media users of the strike: 'We've called a 24 hour Uber driver strike from 1pm October 9th. The app is the picket line so we're asking passengers and customers to not cross it by using it. #Ustrike.' Others replied to the UHPD's tweet with mixed emotions and @UnionLegion responded by saying that 'everyone, everywhere, needs to boycott #uber.' One social media user, @PHDriver69 who was clearly amused by the situation, posted a clown emoji face and said: 'What strike? There are LOADS of Uber Drivers on our road 'solidarity' my arse, what a waste of time.