UBER drivers across Glasgow have staged a protest in the city demanding fairer pay and better protection against a new system roll out which puts “lives at risk”.
Drivers for the American transport firm have said their pay has plummeted in the last year with only one in five drivers reporting an increase in earnings over the last 12 months.
Protesters “turned out in force” outside the company’s “green light hub” in Washington Street, Glasgow, according to the union GMB Scotland.
Similar protests have been held in the city in recent years with drivers concerned about pay and safety.
GMB Scotland, which represents Uber drivers, said the way fares and wages are calculated by the American firm is “unclear and fuels uncertainty and frustration”.
Uber uses surge-pricing to increase fare prices when demand is higher.
However, GMB Scotland’s organiser Paul McLaughlin said Uber must be clearer with drivers and ensure the increased revenue is shared with them.
He said: “Our members are committed and skilled drivers working to ensure a first-class service for Uber users.
“The very least they deserve is to be given full and clear information about how fares and earnings are calculated.
“The company must understand the need for that clarity and urgently deliver it.”
Meanwhile, according to the union, drivers fear the proposed introduction and rollout of the new “Trip Radar” system will endanger lives on the road.
The electronic system, which offers fares to multiple drivers at the same time, demands drivers’ attention and will be a “distraction” adding to the risks to them, passengers and other road users.
McLaughlin said: “The rollout of this system should be paused until the drivers’ concerns are properly addressed.
“The company’s absolute priority must be the safety of our members and every other road user.”
A claim to improve pay and conditions for drivers nationally is currently being tabled by the union who are urging Uber to settle it through collective bargaining.
Uber drivers in Glasgow previously protested last year about their long working days with some suggesting they had to work as much as 100 hours per week.
A similar protest over pay took place in Glasgow and across the UK in 2021 with drivers also claiming on that occasion that staff had been unfairly dismissed.
Uber has been approached for comment.
