Taxi Driver Online

About 300 turn out in capital after taxi service raises commission for many rides from 20% to 25% for new drivers






Uber app open on a phone next to line of black cabs
Uber has been met with protests in cities including Paris and Brussels. Photograph: Anthony Devlin/PA


David Hellier

Thursday 12 November 2015 15.08 GMT Last modified on Thursday 12 November 2015 18.03 GMT





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Uber, the online taxi hailing service whose success led to demonstrations by rival operators in cities across the world, has faced a protest by its own drivers over pay in London.

In the latest challenge to the rapidly growing California company, about 300 protesters backed by the GMB union gathered on Thursday outside its London offices holding placards with slogans such as “Uber 1* rating for greed” and “Uber Xploitation”.


James Rarrar, an Uber driver and trade union representative , said: “The protest is about falling incomes all the time. Increasing commission is one way [it is done]; there have been three fare drops in the last two years is another way; and to continue to flood the circuit [with drivers] so there’s instant response is yet another way.”

Uber, which has more than 20,000 drivers in the capital and is embroiled in a legal battle with black-cab drivers, said the increase in the service fee from 20% to 25% for new drivers of its UberX service would bring British drivers in line with rates charged elsewhere.

The majority of drivers are happy, “but our door is always open to address any issues individuals have”, said Tom Elvidge, the general manager of Uber London. Uber says UberX drivers make £16 per hour after the service fee.





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Elly Baker, the national organiser for the GMB union, said she had tried to speak to the company about the service fee increase before the protest. “We offered to speak to them before this, but they turned us down.” She said union membership from Uber drivers was growing “exponentially”.

GMB has taken a legal case against Uber, arguing that its drivers should qualify for employee rights such as the minimum wage and holiday pay. The group says the drivers are self-employed.

The popular low-cost service was ruled legal by the high court last month, but London’s transport authority is consulting on plans to force Uber and others to ensure booking confirmation at least five minutes before a journey starts and allow advance booking.

Founded in 2009, Uber, whose investors include Goldman Sachs and Google, has had to overcome teething problems including legislative hurdles and opposition from traditional taxi drivers, who have brought cities such as Paris and Brussels to a standstill by blocking traffic. However, this is one of the first occasions in which Uber drivers have demonstrated against the company.

Uber drivers refuse to stand for increased levy


UBER drivers stepped out of their cars yesterday in protest against commission increases that will leave the controversial firm’s employees £50 worse off every month.

Drivers are being charged a new levy of 25 per cent, while the tech giant’s mass recruitment ahead of Christmas is threatening the jobs of many of the company’s longer-serving staff.

Outside Uber’s London headquarters, dozens of drivers represented by the GMB union demanded better pay and job safety.

GMB professional drivers representative James Farrar told the Star that the protest was “really heartening” due to the tough conditions many of those attending were working under.

He said: “To make a call about the unfairness of Uber to drivers and ask these guys to show up, under the fear they might be deactivated, they might lose their jobs, the fact that they shook off those fears and came here anyway shows three things.

“One, the spirit that these guys have and their determination.

“Two, their absolute courage. And three, the absolute need for something to be done.”

In the past 12 months, Uber drivers have had their journey fares lowered twice and their salary, allowing for deductions, squeezed to just over £5 an hour.

Uber driver for the last six months Abdul Shah said the rise “is going to be detrimental to drivers’ livelihoods because they are already struggling.

“They are doing 60 to 90 hours a week and they are basically earning peanuts for it.”

Mr Shah, who had only heard of GMB a week before the protest, joined the union on the day “because they are a very credible organisation and they are the true voice and representatives of Uber drivers,” he said.

source: http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-19 ... kWZSTZOcdU

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Uber Lowering fares and increasing their take all at the expense of the drivers they've learned how to be a plate baron very quickly !!!!!

But the mugs still work for them

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Bet they thought uber was great when they signed up,no sympathy if you know taxi trade wide berth springs to mind

Some tvvat will work for them. You can't fix stupid.

Those that have left to go to Uber should go back to their previous base, I'm thinking the won't get back in attitude is playing right in to the hands of Uber, Uber drivers become entrapped very quickly and the threat of being sin died by there old base keeps them entrapped, PH companies should re-open the door.

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Alway's been about Tightening the Grip!

am I reading that right that its only 25% for new drivers?


surely if that's the case the current drivers would be grateful as it would put more new recruits off.


PH industry is the same up and down the country so many base owners are stuck in the dark ages the big bad tech company has arrived and started eating into their earnings but rather than be proactive they get defensive refuse to take drivers back who have left and generally bury their heads in the sand.


happening in Glasgow atm, lot of drivers moving over to Uber. certainly enough to give them the 5th largest fleet in Glasgow and growing quickly. but rather than being sensible about it and opening a dialogue with their current drivers the barons went down the threats and blacklisting route

one particular company who shall remain nameless has already had 100 drivers leave, or if you prefer 650k of rental a year walk out the door.

That did cross my mind.

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IDFIMH

Good on them get stuck in NOT RUN AWAY AS THE YOKELS SUGGEST! THIS jAMES FARRAR SEEMS TO HAVE A WAY WITH WORDS wonder where he came from ??

No doubt the Branch Sec is overjoyed at his members attempting to negotiate with UBER not shut it down

Uber in London are vulnerable to organised INDUSTRIAL action and of course the Drivers have other income streams vis other company's who cannot of course black list them nor will they try too

JOIN THE GMBPDB ......................................NOW

ENSURE IT FOLLOWS PRO DRIVER POLICY'S YOU THE MEMBERS DECIDE AT ALL TIMES

DUMP THE PROPRIETOR COLABARATORS NOW

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All posts by this contributor are made in a strictly personal capacity

I AM PROUD TO BE A CITIZEN NOBODY'S SUBJECT http://www.republic.org.u

F88K EM ALL WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

BOOZE BOOZE BOOZE

I actually think that Uber drivers will be better off in the GMB.

It's just a shame the numpties in the Brighton GMB section wanted Uber banned from down here.

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IDFIMH

IS THE BRANCH DOWN THERE STILL BEING RUN BY THAT PROPRIETORS GOFFERR

_________________
All posts by this contributor are made in a strictly personal capacity

I AM PROUD TO BE A CITIZEN NOBODY'S SUBJECT http://www.republic.org.u

F88K EM ALL WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

BOOZE BOOZE BOOZE

Indirectly yes.

The section recently fell over themselves trying to change rules that only apply to the circuits.

And of course a past section leader grassed up a member to the boss of a circuit, leading to that member being asked to leave that circuit.

I would advise any B&H driver requiring union membership to join the London GMB who now appear to have rid themselves of the spivs.

In other words keep clear of the lot down here.

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IDFIMH