Testing the labor market. “Uber is not doing anything — it’s only an application on our phones.”
A group of Uber drivers, who say they number about a thousand, are attempting to organize a strike against the booming taxi company over complaints of falling fares and unfair working conditions.
The drivers, who are mostly comprised of SUV and black car drivers, have planned a protest outside of the Long Island City Uber Office on Monday morning after refusing to drive for the service — and in some cases, switching to rival Lyft — Thursday, Friday and Saturday. This is the second protest the group, called Uber Drivers Network NYC, will be staging in a week against the company.
One major grievance is that Uber has extended a summer discount into the fall, cutting deep into drivers wages and forcing them to work extra hours to compensate. Another complaint, according to an organizer and SUV driver who gave his name only as Belal, is that both SUV and black car drivers have been forced to accept requests for UberX — the non-luxury counterpart to Uber's black car service that charges a lower rate — if they are within the area. SUV and black car drivers never received UberX requests until earlier this summer when the company rolled out a program that allowed these premium car drivers to opt into being listed as both a black car and UberX service with the promise of a 35% to 50% increase in weekly income.
According to Belal, he and many other drivers tried this option once or twice and realized they could not make as much as they did in the time they normally would work just being a black car driver exclusively and tried to email and text the company to opt out. But he and other drivers continue to receive UberX requests despite his attempts to return to just being a premium driver.
Now drivers like Belal are not only awarded low rider acceptance rates they are also being temporarily suspended for only choosing to accept SUV or black car requests.
"Uber is basically abusing the driver," Belal told BuzzFeed News. "They give us a 24 hour suspension and threaten that you will lose your chance with Uber. To get a ride for $8.00, I'll have to work the whole day. Gas and insurance for SUV's are expensive. I have to pay $80 to $100 a day in gas."
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