Uber commission rises nearly 5% in one year period as Liverpool driver earnings fall, Worker Info Exchange claims
- Perry Richardson
- 4 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Worker Info Exchange (WIE) has claimed that Uber drivers in Liverpool are paying a growing share of their fares in commission while earning less per hour in real terms, according to a new report published this week.
The report found that the average commission paid by Liverpool drivers increased from 25.6% of fares in 2024 to 30.4% in 2025. WIE also said commission rates now vary significantly between individual drivers and even between trips, following Uber’s move away from a fixed 25% commission model in 2023.
According to the analysis, average hourly earnings for Liverpool Uber drivers fell by 7.7% in real terms between 2024 and 2025 after inflation was taken into account. WIE argues the changes are linked to Uber’s increasing use of algorithmic systems to determine both fares and commission levels in real time, replacing a model more closely based on journey time and distance.
The organisation said drivers have increasingly reported lower earnings, less predictable work allocation and reduced transparency over how fares and commission are calculated. WIE added that these developments come during a period in which Uber has reported strong financial performance globally, with profits and its share price rising significantly since 2023.
Worker Info Exchange is now coordinating a collective legal action in the Netherlands, where Uber’s European headquarters is based. The claim argues that Uber’s dynamic pay system amounts to automated decision-making under Article 22 of the GDPR and seeks an injunction alongside compensation for affected drivers. WIE says a number of Liverpool drivers have already joined the action.
James Farrar, Director of Worker Info Exchange, said: “This new analysis confirms what Liverpool drivers have been saying for some time. That commission is creeping up, pay is slipping down, and the system is becoming more unpredictable and less transparent with drivers often left earning less than the national minimum wage.
“Every worker in the UK has the absolute right to know the basis on which their pay is calculated and the right to protection from harmful AI driven automated decision making.
“We say that Uber’s dynamic pay systems violate the rules and if Uber is allowed to continue to get away with this, such harmful practices will spread throughout the labour market with very serious implications for employment rights.”
Uber has previously maintained that drivers remain free to choose when and where they work, with trip offers and pricing designed to reflect changing and dynamic market conditions. The company has also argued that dynamic pricing helps balance rider demand with driver availability.
