WORKERS’ RIGHTS: London minicab drivers picket Uber press event ahead of further court date
Private hire union members from the App Drivers and Couriers Union (ADCU) picketed Uber’s press event at BAFTA on Picadilly in London this week.
Uber delivered news on their green credentials, highlighting London as their main market for electric vehicles. On the same day, the union called for the Mayor of London to “insist that Uber obey the law or face losing their license to operate in London”.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi attended in person, which drove ADCU representatives to picket the venue with the focus on more court action later this month.
Uber and the ADCU are heading back to court on 26 June as the operator continues to fight against a 2015 claim which was decided in the ADCU’s favour at the Supreme Court in 2021. After eight years of continuous litigation, the courts have yet to rule on exactly how Uber must comply with the Supreme Court.
The ADCU claim that Uber has decided that workers should not enjoy statutory protections for waiting time which 'cheats' their workforce out of pay for around 40% of their working time. For the purposes of calculating minimum wage, Uber has also assessed driver operating costs at 45p per mile in 2021. The union says this number has never been adjusted for rampant inflation since 2021 and a more realistic estimate is £1 to £1.50 per mile especially as drivers now struggle to make the transition to more expensive vehicles.
James Farrar, General Secretary of ADCU and lead claimant in the longstanding worker rights claim against Uber, said: “As we yet again get ready to face Uber in court this month in an endless battle just to secure minimum wage and holiday pay, it is infuriating that the company has the gall to pull off a greenwash PR stunt like this in London to launder their reputation.
“Like Lady Macbeth, the spot-on Uber’s reputation can never be removed until the company does the right thing by their workers and obey the law in full. The ADCU will never give up this fight until Uber drivers have their basic rights respected. Sadiq Khan must not be hoodwinked by Uber’s clean air balderdash. Instead, he should insist that Uber obey the law or face losing their license to operate in London.”
