Thousands of Uber and other ride-sharing drivers strike over terribly low pay

Ride-hailing drivers in India who work for firms such as Uber and Ola, went on strike Monday 19 March over low pay. There are around 1.5 million men and women who drive for ride-hailing apps across India, and thousands participated in a countrywide strike, causing chaos for commuters. The drivers say they have been left no choice but to protest against such low pay that they have been left in huge debt, with many unable to even make their car payments to continue working. Like in many cities around the world, Uber would claim that drivers could make a good living driving for the firm from Silicon Valley -- and at the start they did -- but as more and more drivers would join the app, it suddenly became clear that there wasn't enough to go around. Uber would lure drivers in to a world of endless profits in exchange for a 10 percent commission, but now, according to a report in the Washington Post , some drivers now have to pay up to 30 percent commission to work on the app. 

Drivers were promised a monthly salary of around £1,050 when joining up, by some are now saying they barely make £8 a day. Ride-hailing companies made around £265 million in revenue in 2017.  The drivers say they will continue to strike until both Uber and Ola (India’s own ride-hailing firm) increase their pay to what was originally promised to drivers when first joined.