Thousands of workers in the transport and distribution sectors went on strike in the US and UK this Valentine's Day to demand higher wages and better working conditions.
In the US, drivers of TVDE companies Uber and Lyft are planning 24-hour strikes in places like Chicago, Philadelphia, Miami or Austin, Texas, and are planning demonstrations at airports in several cities, according to protest organizers: “Justice for App Workers” (Justice for App Workers). .
UK delivery workers from Uber Eats, Deliveroo, Just Eat and Stuart said they were shutting down their digital applications and not making deliveries between 5pm and 10pm.
Delivery Job UK, the group that organized the strike, called the strike “an important opportunity to be seen and heard by the community” on Instagram.
Only one of the eight delivery drivers who spoke to The Associated Press on the streets of London this Wednesday said they would not stop operating. However, many of them questioned whether the strike would be long enough to cause enough financial damage to the companies.
Evadur Rahman argued that “one day is not useful”, and the strike should be extended.
Rahman, a Deliveroo driver, said he was taking part in the protest after his daily wages dropped from around £140 (164 euros) for eight hours to £100 (117 euros) in recent months. The driver supported a minimum charge per order ranging from 2.90 pounds (3.37 euros) to five pounds (5.86 euros).
“Companies should improve the minimum wage“Because the present “is not enough to survive in this country,” he lamented to Andhra Pradesh.
Delivery Job UK said 3,000 people planned to leave, but there were no firm numbers among Americans.
tuesday Uber saidBased on previous strikes, This Wednesday's strike is not expected to have a major impact.
“Events of this nature rarely have an impact on trips, prices or driver availability,” the company said in a statement, justifying the trend because “most drivers are satisfied.”
Uber and other companies that rely on independent workers say they appreciate the flexibility.
However, many temporary workers They are insisting on being a union To achieve the ability to negotiate compensation, protective measures and other benefits.
In November, the union effort suffered a setback in the United Kingdom when the British High Court ruled that Deliveroo riders do not have collective bargaining rights because they are not considered employees.
Deliveroo on Wednesday struck a voluntary partnership with a union that includes annual discussions on pay, and offers riders free insurance and sickness support.
“Passenger retention rates are high and most passengers tell us they are happy working with us,” the company said in a statement.
On the Justice for Workers page, Rachel Gumbert described transportation work as a “mobile factory,” with some workers regularly working 60 to 80 hours a week.
Private transport companies are guaranteed to pay Fair wages It also provides for appeals procedures for driver suspensions.
Earlier this month, Lyft said it began ensuring drivers keep at least 70% of weekly fares, including clarified fares on revenue statements and new app access for drivers to appeal termination decisions.
In the United States, drivers earn an average of $30.68 (29 euros) per hour, or $23.46 net per hour (22 euros), the company said.
Uber, for its part, pointed out that its drivers earn on average 33 dollars an hour (31 euros). The company also said it allows drivers to deny their outages.
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