Uber strike in London, Birmingham and Nottingham: Drivers to walkout tomorrow for 24 hours

Ella Wills|Olivia Tobin8 October 2018

Uber drivers will strike tomorrow for 24 hours in London, Birmingham and Nottingham.

The Independent Works Union of Great Britain has called the walkout, which will start from 1pm on Tuesday.

Drivers will be staging protests outside Uber's offices in each of these cities at the start of the strike.

The union representing Uber, the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB), said drivers are demanding an increase in fares, an "end to unfair deactivations and that Uber respect worker rights".

The IWGB said it is appealing for the public's support for drivers and asking customers "not to cross the digital picket line by using the app during the strike".

Worker's demands include an increase of fares to £2 per mile. In London, it is currently £1.25 per mile.

Drivers are also asking for a 10 per cent reduction in commissions paid by drivers to Uber.

James Farrar, Chair of the IWGB's UPHD branch, 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."

A spokeswoman for 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.”

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