UPHD protest against Addison Lee at Business Travel Show

Drivers from Addison Lee protested at the Business Travel Show in London to call for better workers' rights. Drivers of the private hire firm attended the event at Kensington Olympia and surrounded the Addison Lee stand much to the amazement of onlookers. The protest centres around Addison Lee’s  failure to address workers rights with some drivers claiming to be earning only £5 per hour. The current London Living Wage currently sits at £10.20 per hour.

A statement from United Private Hire Drivers of the IWGB union said:

“Last year, an Employment Tribunal found Addison Lee in violation of workers rights in denying drivers the right to earn at least the national minimum wage and holiday pay. Evidence submitted showed drivers are earning around £5 per hour and must work 25-30 hours per week just to pay Addison Lee back the extortionate rent it charges on the vehicles. Despite this, last week Addison Lee actually increased the rent it charges drivers to chauffeur their customers in their vehicles.

“Late last year, one of our members attempted to join Addison Lee as a courier but during the hiring phase Addison Lee identified him as a union member who had acted against another courier firm some time ago. For this reason alone, Addison Lee declined to proceed with his application. This is what we call blacklisting and it is illegal and immoral.

“The United Private Hire Drivers branch of the IWGB union, the union for gig economy workers, have had enough of Addison Lee. We have had a enough of their abuse of driver and courier workers rights. We have had enough of the bullying behaviour of management. We have had enough of their capture and influence of transport policy at TfL and City Hall to the detriment of worker rights.”