Uber drivers have concluded their 24-hour strike which saw "hundreds" of drivers switch off their apps, making themselves unavailable for work.
The BBC reported that the strike was organised by The United Private Hire Drivers (UPHD) branch of the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB). It was in support of a fare increase to £2 a mile, a reduction in commission paid by drivers to Uber, and an end to what it calls "unfair" driver deactivations.
Before the strike, James Farrar, head of the UPHD branch, said "hundreds" would be taking part.
"If you look at social media feeds its viral at the moment. In the history of our union, I've never seen anything quite like it," he said to the BBC.
Numbers seem to be growing at the protest outside @uber London HQ....still nobody from the company has come out to talk to their workers. pic.twitter.com/X6A3oeEC3t
— Emiliano Mellino (@Mellino) October 9, 2018
As you head off to work this morning please remember Uber drivers remain on strike until 1pm today. Please don't cross the digital picket line, don't use the Uber app. Solidarity!
— UPHD (@United_PHD) October 10, 2018
#Solidarity for #uberstrike from Canada. We've all deleted the app from our phones at our workplace and it'll stay deleted until Uber offer their workers a fair deal. #yyc #ableg #cdnpoli
— Marxist Moggy. #CallBoris 07811222333 (@The_JPR) October 9, 2018
An Uber spokesperson told the BBC that the company stood by its pay record, adding that it had introduced sickness, injury, maternity and paternity protections "over the last few months."
The action follows a strike last week by restaurant workers who were calling on their employers for better working conditions, pay of £10 an hour and an end to ‘precarious’ contracts. UberEats drivers, who were also on strike, demanded to be paid £5 per delivery, and a further £1 per mile for each delivery.
