Uber, Bolt and Addison Lee drivers strike on Valentine’s Day

1000’s of Uber, Bolt and Addison Lee drivers are logging off throughout peak hours on Valentine’s Day in a marketing campaign for higher pay and dealing circumstances, a union says.

The strike motion is going down throughout the UK from 16:00 to 22:00 GMT.

The Unbiased Staff Union of Nice Britain (IWGB) stated it might unite “drivers up and down the nation confronted with low pay and insecure circumstances”.

Uber, Bolt and Addison and Lee have defended their working circumstances after the IWGB stated drivers in cities together with London, Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff and Brighton had been backing the strike.

Vasilica Dumitrescu has been working for varied platforms, together with Uber and Bolt, for the final 9 years. The 51-year-old stated she works seven days per week, clocking up greater than 80 hours, simply to make ends meet.

“It is actually dangerous financially, emotionally bodily, the whole lot,” Ms Dumitrescu stated.

“I am unable to afford to make payments, lease, meals, which is so costly now. It is actually, actually dangerous.”

Ms Dumitrescu stated she hopes the strike results in larger pay agreements.

“The purchasers, they’re with us,” she added. “Each driver is upset as a result of they do not earn sufficient. They ask you the way a lot you get from this journey and are shocked at how little we get.”

An Uber spokesperson stated all its drivers are assured to earn a minimum of the nationwide residing wage, and that almost all can and do earn extra.

“On common, drivers throughout the UK earn greater than £30 per hour when taking journeys on Uber,” the spokesperson stated.

“In addition they have entry to industry-leading protections reminiscent of vacation pay, a pension and free illness and damage cowl, in addition to formal illustration via GMB Union.”

A spokesperson for Bolt stated the corporate was “dedicated to making sure our costs stability the incomes wants of drivers with affordability for passengers”.

“All drivers obtain vacation pay and financial dietary supplements to make sure they earn a minimum of the nationwide residing wage, alongside a pension,” the spokesperson added.

In one other assertion simply over an hour into the strike, a Bolt spokesperson stated service ranges had been “unaffected” and customers had been “capable of ebook rides as regular”.

Addison Lee has been contacted for remark. The corporate beforehand advised the PA information company: “We’ve an in depth working relationship with our drivers, which was additional bolstered in our current bi-annual driver satisfaction survey. We don’t count on to see any disruption to volumes or service ranges on February 14.”

In September 2024, Bolt drivers received a declare in opposition to the corporate after an employment tribunal dominated they had been “employees” beneath UK legislation and entitled to rights and protections, together with the nationwide minimal wage.

In January 2025, Addison Lee drivers received the same case.

Helio Santos, who is predicated in Stratford in east London, is one other driver collaborating within the strike.

He has been driving with Uber for 3 years and stated that whereas he spent 70 to 80 hours per week on-line, that usually interprets to only 25 to 30 hours of driving.

Mr Santos stated that Friday’s strike motion reveals that drivers throughout UK are “reaching a breaking level”.

“That is unsustainable,” he stated. “Charges are too low, there is no such thing as a security, no transparency. Uber retains ignoring us.”

Mr Santos, who has three youngsters together with a four-year-old, stated Uber’s promise of the nationwide residing wage was “meaningless”.

“It’s mocking us, saying drivers get a residing wage. I will be higher off working for a cleansing firm,” he added.

The IWGB stated that since drivers grew to become “employees” beneath the legislation, they’ve reported their circumstances have worsened.

Alongside calls for for fairer pay and safer work, the union is asking for the introduction of security measures for drivers reminiscent of rider ID verification, grievance monitoring methods, and assist for victims of assault.

A spokesperson for Bolt stated the corporate has dedicated €100m (£83.3m) over the following three years to assist security initiatives for its drivers. In recent times, it has launched an in-app emergency help button and offered further passenger info previous to pick-up, the spokesperson added.

A part of Friday’s motion will embrace a vigil for Bolt driver Gabriel Bringye who was killed in Tottenham, north London, in 2021.

Mr Bringye, 37, was set upon by a bunch of youngsters on a criminal offense spree, who booked the cab with the only real intention of robbing the driving force.

The IWGB stated the vigil marks 4 years since his dying, and that drivers are demanding higher protections in his title.