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

Hundreds of Uber, Bolt and Addison Lee drivers are logging off throughout peak hours on Valentine’s Day in a marketing campaign for higher pay and dealing circumstances, a union says.

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

The Impartial Staff Union of Nice Britain (IWGB) mentioned it might unite “drivers up and down the nation confronted with low pay and insecure circumstances”.

Uber, Bolt and Addison and Lee have defended their working circumstances after the IWGB mentioned drivers in cities together with London, Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff and Brighton have been backing the strike.

Vasilica Dumitrescu has been working for varied platforms, together with Uber and Bolt, for the final 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 actually unhealthy financially, emotionally bodily, all the pieces,” Ms Dumitrescu mentioned.

“I can not afford to make payments, hire, meals, which is so costly now. It is actually, actually unhealthy.”

Ms Dumitrescu mentioned she hopes the strike results in greater pay agreements.

“The shoppers, they’re with us,” she added. “Each driver is upset as a result of they do not earn sufficient. They ask you the way a lot you get from this journey 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 wage, and that almost all can and do earn extra.

“On common, drivers throughout the UK earn greater than £30 per hour when taking journeys on Uber,” the spokesperson mentioned.

“In addition they have entry to industry-leading protections reminiscent of vacation pay, a pension and free illness and damage cowl, in addition to formal illustration by means of GMB Union.”

A spokesperson for Bolt mentioned the corporate was “dedicated to making sure our costs stability the incomes wants of drivers with affordability for passengers”.

“All drivers obtain vacation pay and financial dietary supplements to make sure they earn no less than the nationwide dwelling wage, alongside a pension,” the spokesperson added.

In one other assertion simply over an hour into the strike, a Bolt spokesperson mentioned service ranges have been “unaffected” and customers have been “capable of ebook rides as regular”.

Addison Lee has been contacted for remark. The corporate beforehand instructed the PA information company: “We now have an in depth working relationship with our drivers, which was additional strengthened in our latest bi-annual driver satisfaction survey. We don’t count on to see any disruption to volumes or service ranges on February 14.”

In September 2024, Bolt drivers won a claim against the company after an employment tribunal dominated they have been “employees” underneath UK legislation and entitled to rights and protections, together with the nationwide minimal wage.

In January 2025, Addison Lee drivers received the same case.

Helio Santos, who relies in Stratford in east London, is one other driver participating within the strike.

He has been driving with Uber for 3 years and mentioned that whereas he spent 70 to 80 hours per week on-line, that always interprets to only 25 to 30 hours of driving.

Mr Santos mentioned that Friday’s strike motion reveals that drivers throughout UK are “reaching a breaking level”.

“That is unsustainable,” he mentioned. “Charges are too low, there isn’t a security, no transparency. Uber retains ignoring us.”

Mr Santos, who has three kids together with a four-year-old, mentioned Uber’s promise of the nationwide dwelling wage was “meaningless”.

“It’s mocking us, saying drivers get a dwelling wage. I will be higher off working for a cleansing firm,” he added.

The IWGB mentioned that since drivers turned “employees” underneath the legislation, they’ve reported their circumstances have worsened.

Alongside calls for for fairer pay and safer work, the union is asking for the introduction of security measures for drivers reminiscent of rider ID verification, grievance monitoring techniques, and assist for victims of assault.

A spokesperson for Bolt mentioned the corporate has dedicated €100m (£83.3m) over the subsequent three years to assist security initiatives for its drivers. In recent times, it has launched an in-app emergency help button and offered further passenger data previous to pick-up, the spokesperson added.

A part of Friday’s motion will embrace a vigil for Bolt driver Gabriel Bringye who was killed in Tottenham, north London, in 2021.

Mr Bringye, 37, was set upon by a bunch of youngsters on a criminal offense spree, who booked the cab with the only intention of robbing the driving force.

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