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

1000’s of Uber, Bolt and Addison Lee drivers are logging off all the way through height hours on Valentine’s Day in a marketing campaign for higher pay and dealing prerequisites, a union says.

The strike motion is happening throughout the United Kingdom from 16:00 to 22:00 GMT.

The Unbiased Staff Union of Nice Britain (IWGB) mentioned it will unite “drivers up and down the rustic confronted with low pay and insecure prerequisites”.

Uber, Bolt and Addison and Lee have defended their running prerequisites after the IWGB mentioned drivers in towns together with London, Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff and Brighton had been backing the strike.

Vasilica Dumitrescu has been running for more than a few platforms, together with Uber and Bolt, for the remaining 9 years. The 51-year-old mentioned she works seven days per week, clocking up greater than 80 hours, simply to make ends meet.

“It is in reality dangerous financially, emotionally bodily, the whole thing,” Ms Dumitrescu mentioned.

“I will’t manage to pay for to make expenses, hire, meals, which is so pricey now. It is in reality, in reality dangerous.”

Ms Dumitrescu mentioned she hopes the strike ends up in upper pay agreements.

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

An Uber spokesperson mentioned all its drivers are assured to earn no less than the nationwide dwelling salary, and that almost all can and do earn extra.

“On moderate, drivers throughout the United Kingdom earn greater than £30 consistent with hour when taking journeys on Uber,” the spokesperson mentioned.

“Additionally they have get admission to to industry-leading protections similar to vacation pay, a pension and loose illness and damage quilt, in addition to formal illustration thru GMB Union.”

A spokesperson for Bolt mentioned the corporate used to be “dedicated to making sure our costs steadiness the incomes wishes of drivers with affordability for passengers”.

“All drivers obtain vacation pay and fiscal dietary supplements to verify they earn no less than the nationwide dwelling salary, along a pension,” the spokesperson added.

In every other commentary simply over an hour into the strike, a Bolt spokesperson mentioned provider ranges had been “unaffected” and customers had been “in a position to ebook rides as customary”.

Addison Lee has been contacted for remark. The corporate up to now instructed the PA information company: “Now we have an in depth running dating with our drivers, which used to be additional bolstered in our fresh bi-annual driving force delight survey. We don’t be expecting to look any disruption to volumes or provider 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” below UK legislation and entitled to rights and protections, together with the nationwide minimal salary.

In January 2025, Addison Lee drivers received a identical case.

Helio Santos, who’s primarily based in Stratford in east London, is every other driving force collaborating within the strike.

He has been using with Uber for 3 years and mentioned that whilst he spent 70 to 80 hours every week on-line, that ceaselessly interprets to simply 25 to 30 hours of using.

Mr Santos mentioned that Friday’s strike motion presentations that drivers throughout UK are “achieving a verge of collapse”.

“That is unsustainable,” he mentioned. “Charges are too low, there is not any protection, no transparency. Uber helps to keep ignoring us.”

Mr Santos, who has 3 kids together with a four-year-old, mentioned Uber’s promise of the nationwide dwelling salary used to be “meaningless”.

“It’s mocking us, announcing drivers get a dwelling salary. I’m going to be running for a cleansing corporate,” he added.

The IWGB mentioned that since drivers was “employees” below the legislation, they have got reported their prerequisites have worsened.

Along calls for for fairer pay and extra safe paintings, the union is asking for the advent of protection measures for drivers similar to rider ID verification, grievance monitoring programs, and fortify for sufferers of attack.

A spokesperson for Bolt mentioned the corporate has dedicated €100m (£83.3m) over the following 3 years to fortify protection tasks for its drivers. Lately, it has offered an in-app emergency help button and supplied further passenger knowledge previous to pick-up, the spokesperson added.

A part of Friday’s motion will come with a vigil for Bolt driving force Gabriel Bringye who used to be killed in Tottenham, north London, in 2021.

Mr Bringye, 37, used to be set upon by way of a bunch of youngsters on a criminal offense spree, who booked the cab with the only purpose of robbing the motive force.

The IWGB mentioned the vigil marks 4 years since his demise, and that drivers are difficult higher protections in his identify.