Tag Archives: gig

The Impressive UK Private Employment Drivers on Valentine’s Day in the Gig Economy

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wHensimon Waite began working as a private rental driver in 2017. It gave him the flexibility and income to spend time with his children. “School is my son’s soccer, and I was able to make money in my life,” he says.

But over the past few years, the 41-year-old Waite from Hertfordshire says he has to spend dramatically more time on the roads to make a living. “It took me about 50 hours to make £1,000 a week a few years ago, but now it’s about 70 hours. Most drivers will need to pay insurance, taxes, vehicle fees, maintenance, fuel, license, rent, bills, and maintenance fees. Living costs.”

Waite claims that drivers reduced fares to compensate for costs after the Supreme Court was classified as eligible to acquire workers’ rights, such as holidays and sick pay in 2021.

To challenge his working conditions, Waite will not work for the private rental driving app on Valentine’s Day from 4pm to 10pm. He has taken part in logoff actions against Uber, Bolt, and Addison Lee and withdraws his labor Thousands of others Requires better pay, rights, and safety measures.

Friday’s action is organized by three drivers and supported by the Independent Workers Union UK (IWGB). “The driver reports that he just got worse. [2021] The ruling responded to the enforcement of rights by lowering its fees,” the IWGB said. Approximately 200 drivers from cities across the country contacted the Guardian and shared their opinions on the actions.

Wait, who is signed up with Bolt, says Uber is a great app that “has done so many amazing things about how people avoid it.” But he says the decline in wages has “at a place I can’t.” He is considering quitting his job.

Valentine’s Day action is about raising awareness among drivers [and] We build that momentum,” Waite said. “We’re going to strengthen Uber and run this system. If we’re united, we can actually make changes.”

Another driver scheduled to log off on Friday is Isaac Mohammed, 30, a part-time Cardiff driver since 2016.




Isaac Mohammed, 30, said fares could drop to £1 per mile. Photo: Isaac Mohammed/Guardian Community

“It used to be the best ride app, but things have changed dramatically over the past two years,” says Mohammed. It was often 3 pounds per mile.

“Today, having a takeaway for me is considered a luxury,” he says. “Unless you live in your car, it’s very difficult to survive.”

The core issue of Mohammed is what counts as working time. Uber calculates it from when the ride is accepted until the passengers leave the exit, but he says this doesn’t take into account the time they wait for the ride.

Also involved is Kieran Airey, 36, of Merseyside, driving for Uber and a local private employment company. He says he realized in early 2024 it was taking time to reach his £200 a day goal. This meant rising from 55-60 hours a week, up from 45 hours. “At one point, I was basically working seven days a week,” he says.




“I just want fair wages for fair work,” says 36-year-old Kieran Airey. Photo: Kieran Airey/Guardian Community

He had to take his 14-year-old son to soccer and had to take a weekend nap, as he had eaten a processed microwave meal rather than a home-cooked dinner due to increased fatigue. So, “I had enough energy to do the job then, then.”

Airey says he is frustrated with the lack of transparency around the algorithms and payment structure. “I just want to make fair payments for fair work,” he says.


Uber claims that drivers are being paid unfairly. “Uber offers a national living wage guarantee for all drivers, and while they can earn money below that level, most drivers can make more money,” the spokesman said. Ta.

“All drivers are paid weekly as cash, representing an additional 12% of the revenues paid each week.

A spokesman for Addison Lee said the company has “close collaboration with our drivers” and “doesn’t expect to see disruptions with volume or service levels” on Friday. I contacted Bolt for comment.

Gavin, a 45-year-old driver from Uber and Bolt of Birmingham, says he sympathizes with some concerns but has not taken part in the action.

“I really have to thank Uber for giving me this opportunity to acquire a private employment driver,” he says. More than his previous work.

But with Martin Hayward, 54-year-old Southampton, a private employment driver for 20 years, joining in, he says the logoff action hasn’t gone far enough to make an impact. “I’m happy to log off for a week,” he says.




“I work seven days a week for under £500,” says Martin Hayward. Photo: Martin Hayward/Guardian Community

He claims he could earn around £750 a week ago by October last year, but now he’s earning around £450 in the same time.

“I work seven days a week for under £500. I don’t have a social life,” he says. “The worst thing about being a driver is always having a place to have a good time, whether it’s a theatre, a holiday, a trip, or a cruise. You’re just thinking… I’m not going to do these things. you can’t.

“It’s just putting you on the floor.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

Couriers puzzled by algorithms dictating work: The nightmare of the gig economy

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Delivery workers in Ballymena, Northern Ireland are often seen gathered around McDonald’s, waiting for orders and discussing the mysteries of the system that controls their work lives.

This week, gig workers, unions, and human rights organizations are demanding more transparency from Uber Eats, Just Eat, and Deliveroo regarding the algorithms that dictate their work assignments and pay. A campaign has been launched calling for greater transparency.

Workers question why some are given jobs as soon as they log in while others who have been waiting are ignored. They wonder why the app sometimes indicates no available delivery person, even when a restaurant is busy.

One driver, speaking anonymously, expressed frustration at trying to understand the algorithm’s logic. They speculate on how geolocation and other factors may influence the system’s decisions.

Drivers find the lack of human interaction and underpayment for their work disheartening. They struggle with automated processes and often feel disconnected from the platforms they work for.

While these issues persist, there is a growing demand for transparency and accountability in the gig economy. Workers like Lucas Myron have experienced sudden disruptions in their work without clear explanations or recourse.

James Farrar, a former Uber driver who successfully challenged the company for better employment rights, now advocates for gig workers’ rights. He highlights the challenges faced by workers who must navigate opaque algorithms and make decisions with little information.

The lack of transparency in algorithm-driven platforms creates uncertainty and stress for workers, who often feel powerless in understanding or challenging the decisions made about their work.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Activists advocate for public transparency of ride-hailing app data to tackle exploitation and reduce emissions | Gig Economy

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Activists are urging Uber and other ride-hailing apps to disclose data on their drivers’ workload to combat exploitation and reduce carbon emissions.

Analysis by Worker Info Exchange suggests that drivers for Uber and its competitors may have missed out on over £1.2 billion in earnings and expenses last year due to payment structures.

The report argues that these platforms are built on an oversupply of vehicles and the exploitation of workers, leading to financial struggles and debt.

Uber collects anonymized trip data in several North American cities and claims this covers around 40% of drivers’ miles before picking up passengers.

Despite Uber’s response that drivers earn money on other platforms during idle times, Worker Info Exchange maintains that better compensation and expense coverage could have resulted in an additional £1.29 billion industry-wide in 2023.

The report also highlights issues with monitoring drivers’ mileage, leading to potential exhaustion and safety hazards.

Similar concerns are raised about food delivery apps, with calls for more transparency in journey data.

Efforts in New York to limit vehicle licenses to support taxi drivers and reduce congestion have been noted, although recent changes exempt electric vehicles.

Uber’s carbon emissions in the UK are projected to surpass those of Transport for London, prompting calls for stricter control and transparency from regulators.

The ongoing debate around worker classification and rights in the gig economy is also highlighted, with promises from lawmakers to address issues of “false self-employment”.

Worker Info Exchange, founded by a key figure in the Uber Supreme Court case, aims to empower gig workers by providing more control over their data and decision-making processes.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Food delivery workers in Bristol’s ‘caravan slums’ face hardships: I wish no one had to experience this | Gig Economy

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Two rows of rundown, dirt-smothered caravan parks line either side of the road near the motorway that winds into Bristol’s city center. Rats dart between water-filled concrete sluices and piles of rubbish-strewn vegetation. Drug users stumble out of a nearby underpass as trucks roar overhead.

It’s a dreary camp where around 30 Brazilian delivery drivers for big companies like Deliveroo and Uber Eats are forced to scrape by to make ends meet.

Celia Campos, 45, has been living in a caravan next to the lock for a year. “We left Brazil to look for a better place,” she says in rapid Portuguese. “But most of us don’t achieve our dreams. We come back in a worse state than when we left.”

Delivery drivers claim their income is not keeping up with rising prices, making it extremely difficult to make a living from delivering food.

The national minimum wage is £11.44 an hour, but food delivery companies like Deliveroo and Uber Eats do not formally employ their drivers – they are gig economy workers who are paid per delivery, meaning they can earn much less than the minimum wage.

Campos says she works long hours for both companies, working 333 hours in July and earning the equivalent of £6.27 an hour. Her pay records show she was paid around £1.20 for some Uber Eats deliveries. “We spend as much time as we can on the streets. I work from 8am until I’m tired, usually until midnight,” she says. “Delivery work is not good anymore. You have to be a slave to make enough money.”

She cannot afford Bristol’s soaring rents, which have risen faster than anywhere else in the country and have resulted in an increase in the number of people living in their cars in the West Country city.

Harsh living conditions, long hours and low wages have led to mental health issues in the camps. “I had depression for a year. It was awful,” Campos said. “I don’t want anyone to go through that. If you just work, work, work, work and you have no life… that’s what causes depression.”

Deliveroo, which recently survived a seven-year legal battle over greater rights for gig economy delivery workers, posted its first profit this month and reported a net profit of £1.3m for the first half of 2024.

Uber, which provides taxi and food delivery services, said it expects its pre-tax profits in the UK to rise to £32 million in 2022 from £5 million in 2021, with the delivery arm of its UK business generating revenue of £700 million.

The Labour government promised a new employment rights bill that would ban zero-hours contracts and provide sick pay from day one, but plans to introduce a single status for all employees – which would give gig economy workers the same rights as employed staff – have been replaced with a promise to consult on a simpler employment framework.

Some Labour MPs have raised concerns about Deliveroo’s relationship with the party after the company sponsored a series of Labour events, and its chief executive Will Thew was invited to a drinks party hosted by Keir Starmer last month. Shu appears in the video It was recorded at the event and shared on the PM’s official X account.

Another of the three women living in the caravan is preparing to work for Uber Eats. Lorena, 28, has been living in the caravan for a year and a half. She says she works 12-hour days and earns £600 a week, which works out to £7.14 an hour. “When I got here it wasn’t so bad but now I feel like a dehumanised person,” she says.

Riders say they get little support from the platforms they log into every day, so they look out for one another. They protect their mopeds, fix each other’s punctures, raise money for injured or sick workers. One person likens the road community to a labor union or “syndicate,” while another says Favela – A working-class slum in Brazil.

Some still feel vulnerable to street violence: Lorena fears that anti-immigrant protesters will burn down their house. “We feel threatened,” she says.

Her neighbour, Lucas, 25, is staying in a rundown caravan, its window seams covered with black duct tape and undersides covered with a tarpaulin, his double bed taking up most of the living space, just five metres by two metres.

The wall above the small camping stove is covered in black mold, making it dangerous to use in an enclosed space. “There is no comfort here. [in the caravan]”I just have a bed to sleep in and that’s it. Sometimes I lose motivation,” he says.

On the other side of the road, another rider prepares to head out on his moped. Freitas, 32, is a qualified pharmacist in Brazil but delivers takeaways in the UK, earning an average of £3.43 per delivery, according to figures from his Uber Eats app. “I studied for five years. I don’t want to tell my family what’s going on here,” he says.

He desperately wants to move because his caravan has no electricity, no heating and no place to cook. When it rains, the windows leak into his bed. “It’s hard to live like this. At night you have to wrap yourself up in a blanket,” he explains. “Many of the people who stay here develop mental problems because they live in a small box.”

Heather Mack, deputy leader of Bristol city council, said: “Most of us strive to treat others how we would like to be treated but shamefully this is not the case for companies like Deliveroo and Uber Eats in our city. People who work for a living should be able to live a life that provides the essentials we all need – safety, hygiene and food.”

Mack also called on the government to end “cruel and hostile environment” policies to give immigrants a path to legal work.

The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB), which led an unsuccessful legal campaign to secure employment rights for delivery drivers, said the Bristol camp was “emblematic of the mass misery that the gig economy is producing”. Maritza Castillo Calle, vice-chairman of IWGB, accused delivery companies of slashing driver pay to boost profits. “We should not be mistaken in thinking that Deliveroo’s first-ever profit last week is a direct result of workers facing unprecedented hardship,” she said.

Deliveroo said it was “very concerned” that delivery drivers were living in unsuitable conditions and would contact Bristol City Council. A spokesman added: “Deliveroo offers protections to its delivery drivers, including the flexible working they want, attractive income opportunities, free insurance, sickness cover, financial support for delivery drivers who become new parents and a range of training opportunities.”

Uber said Uber Eats offers thousands of delivery workers flexible ways to earn money. “When delivery workers work with us, they have a range of protections, including insurance for their journey, and we regularly work with them to see how we can improve their experience.”

Back in Bristol, Campos gets on his scooter. He’s exhausted after a long night’s shift, but he says he has to go back to work. “If you’re only getting paid £1, £2 or £3 per delivery, you have to make a lot of deliveries. The owners of these companies don’t think about us, the couriers who make their money, they only think about themselves.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

Member states do not provide enough support for EU interim agreement on gig worker rights

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The Christmas present for the EU’s precarious gig workers can’t come soon enough: a political agreement announced in the middle of this month aims to strengthen the rights of platform workers across the European Union by establishing a legal presumption of employment. However, it does not have the support of the necessary qualified majority among the people. Dear Member States, that is clear today.

A quick update to the European Council online press release had promoted previous political dealings on file, the agency wrote.[O]On December 22, 2023, the Spanish Presidency concluded that it was not possible to reach the necessary majority for a provisional agreement among the representatives of the Member States (Coreper). The Belgian Presidency will resume negotiations with the European Parliament to reach an agreement on the final form of the directive. “

This development was previously covered bloomberg and Euractic — reported that the deal failed to secure a qualified majority at core par on Friday.

Euractic cited information that the Baltic states, the Czech Republic, France, Hungary and Italy had “formally said no to the deal they believe in”, adding: “As it became clear that a majority would not be reached, the document There was not even a formal vote taken.” It was too far removed from the board’s directives. “

France has been cited as being at the forefront of resistance to the deal announced mid-month by exhausted parliamentary negotiators, with parliamentary co-representatives also on file. Blaming French President Emmanuel Macron for opposition to deal Early this month.

Depending on the changes requested by the blocking Member States, the file could be forced back into the EU’s tripartite legislative negotiation process known as the Trilogue, where the European Parliament, Council and Commission The co-legislators will have to try again. To find a compromise that they can all agree on.

However, with European elections looming, there will be the added complication of tight deadlines if the Estates-General has to reconvene in January.

Unless a way can be found to move this file forward in the coming months, gig worker labor reform will be at the mercy of reconfigured political priorities under the new European Commission and Parliament. It is likely that the current system will lean even further to the right.

In a thread posted on He then announced on December 13 that an agreement had been reached on the platform worker file, and he blamed the Conservative and Liberal governments for blocking the reforms.

“The Spanish Council Presidency has reached an agreement with the support of all political groups in the country. [the European] Parliament other than the far right,” he also wrote [translated from Spanish using AI]. “This directive is inspired by the directive known as the Lidar Law, which came into force in Spain on August 12, 2021.”

“This pioneering regulation at international level, which positions the EU as a leader in a just digital transition, must continue to be discussed in the next Belgian Presidency, based on the agreement reached by the Spanish Presidency and the European Parliament.” he said. Added. “Spain and the Ministry of Labor and Social Economy will continue to defend an ambitious directive that truly improves the situation of workers on digital platforms.”

Congressional negotiators said at a press conference earlier this month to announce a tentative agreement on the file that estimates of the employment relationship between gig workers and platforms are among a list of five “indicators of control or direction.” He said it will be triggered if two of these conditions are met. However, he declined to provide details on what these standards would be.

Opposition to the deal is likely to focus on this element of the reform, with reports suggesting that bloc member states are seeking to raise the threshold before employment estimates begin.

Asked about this, a council spokesperson told TechCrunch: “We acknowledge that the disagreement centers on the issue of legal presumption.”

The council’s position is that came back in june, At least three of the seven criteria set out in the Directive had to be met for the employment presumption to be triggered. An interim agreement (now unsuccessful) had lowered the threshold to two out of five levels. However, the agreement announced earlier this month also allowed member states to expand the list of criteria, so disabled people are likely to only have two criteria to trigger employment presumptions instead of three. .

Lawmakers who touted the deal earlier this month called it “historic” and “ambitious” and said it “shifts the burden of proof” and burdens on precarious gig workers. It suggested that this would prevent them from being “incorrectly considered to be self-employed”. Prove on the platform that the employee is truly self-employed.

Source: techcrunch.com