This is bizarre so Uber are to go on strike, citing they want the same protections and benefits of an employee. The High Court if I recall correctly in their favour and that decsion is to due by heard in the CoA at the end of this month. Meanwhile the drivers agreed to opt out of the first instance decsion and carried on driving as self employed.
All the drivers I speak to love the flexibility of being self employed, and in those circumstances it follows they cannot have the benefits of being a bona fide employee. So what is the purpose of the strike they cannot have it both ways surely?
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Where to start?
1. The strike is (amongst other things) about upholding a tribunal (and EAT) decision that they are workers, not employees.
2. "Meanwhile the drivers agreed to opt out of the first instance decision" eh? Isn't that what they are striking about (amongst other things)?
3. There are 45,000 (approx) Uber drivers in London.
4. The strike organisers are expecting "hundreds" of drivers to join them.
5. You have presumably spoken to a small minority of the, say, 44,500 drivers who are not expected to join them.
6. You can have lots of flexibility if you're a worker. No one's suggesting they have to be employees, not even the ET, the EAT or (and here I'm looking in my crystal ball) the CA, rather workers.
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Pumpkin, it confused me TBF. But I presume all the drivers currently driving agreed to opt out? hence they are still driving. Its their toy and if you don't want to play with it upon their terms then Uber have presumably said fine. Meanwhile even if the drivers win again at CoA then in reality all those who striked won't be employed back anyway so it will be hollow victory.
Of course as you say I have only spoken to a small sample( a couple of dozen or so), and they were without exception happy with their lot. More than a few, much to my surprise claimed to be earning £1000-1200 per week, gross for a circa 40 /50 hour week. And therefore I put this increased earnings down to their being fewer drivers pending the outcome of the CoA case?
Their only gripe was those who signed on two years ago or more were paying 15% comission, whereas the newer ones were paying 30% . I can't see Uber allowing the striking drivers back, even if they win.
Uber can't really "lose" in those circumstances can they?
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Yeah but the other online/app platforms don't nearly have the reach that Uber does?
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