Fed up with UBER’s unfair treatment, hundreds of drivers protested outside the offices of the digital platform this Thursday. With banners and in loud voices they let executives know that without them the company would not exist.
Eliazar Becerra has been driving for UBER for 6 years.
Although what he earned was initially enough to support his family, after the pandemic and inflation, now his salary does not last the month, especially in New York City, where vehicle costs are 250 percent higher % compared to other cities.
“We are responsible for maintenance, tolls, petrol, car wash, we are independent contractors, so we have to cover all expensesUBER since 2019 after COVID has raised fares for riders 40% and drivers haven’t seen even 1% of those gains,” says Becerra.
Like him, thousands of UBER drivers found themselves in financial difficulty, they were hoping to receive a raise on December 19, 2022, after the Taxi and Limousine Commission approved the salary increase of 7.4% per minute and 24% per mile.
However, the company UBER refused to implement these increases, going to court, despite the company charging passengers 48% more since September 2022.
Wilson Kalu, is also the host of this application service and feels it is unfair that they are not listened to:
“All UBER cares about is how much they make, and as much as we’ve screamed and cried for our right to earn our fair share, they don’t listen. That’s why we’re here to let passengers know UBER treats us like slaves.”
This is the second strike in less than a month, with thousands stopping work for 24 hours, thus joining the protest.
That they pay just enough, don’t deduct 30 percent off a ride, so taxi drivers can cover their expenses and not be in trouble, or that they can no longer continue their work, says driver Daniel Rojas.
The pay raise would cost UBER about $21 million a month.
And it is expected that with this new protest, UBER will cave in and offer the extra thousand dollars a month that the drivers are asking for.
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