Uber drivers strike in pay and transparency row
Uber drivers in a city have gone on strike in a row over pay and fee transparency.
The Newcastle drivers, who do not have formal union representation, gathered outside the company's office by the Bigg Market earlier.
They complained that following a recent change, Uber does not share with them how much customers are charged for journeys, just what a driver is entitled to, which they say is "unfair".
Uber has been approached for comment.
In 2021, the Supreme Court ruled Uber drivers should be considered employees, meaning they are entitled to minimum wage and holiday pay.
But those striking on Tuesday claimed remuneration had worsened since the ruling.
Abdul Khan, 35, from Fenham, Newcastle, joined Uber two years ago and said drivers are not paid enough.
"[We're] spending 18 hours [working] - sometimes more - and people can't take home even £100 - if they do, it's only going to pay for fuel," he said.
Since the ruling, Uber changed the way it pays drivers.
Previously, drivers would take payment from customers and pay the firm a set 25% fee.
Now, Uber handles payments and drivers have complained there is no transparency over what share they receive.
Mohammed Rahman, 31, has been an Uber driver for five years and said drivers and customers are getting a bad deal.
"We've seen a lot of customers paying double, triple the fare," he said.
"For example, if we take a 10-mile job, that might give us £7 or £8, but customers are paying £20 or £30.
"They don't show us anymore what they're charging - just what we'll make and I don't think that’s fair."
A spokesperson for Newcastle City Council said while it has no jurisdiction over Uber’s relationship with its drivers, it was aware of their concerns.
They added: "We have sought to discuss the matter with Uber, to better understand the situation, and will continue to monitor the company as we would any of our 81 licenced private hire operators."
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