ALBAWABA - Uber, Lyft and DoorDash drivers in the thousands are looking to strike on Valentine’s Day across the US in demands for fair pay, announced the Justice for App Workers, an alliance movement made up of over 130,000 delivery and ridesharing drivers, adding that workers are also demanding job security instead of the apps' ability to deactivate drivers’ accounts with “a click of a button.”
The corporations are being accused by these independent contractors of paying unjust compensation whilst retaining most of their earnings, saying in the press statement that drivers should not be concerned over their safety and financial security while working 80 hours per week, noting that they cannot bear this situation anymore, demanding change.
Uber claims that only a limited number of their drivers join such rallies, which does not hurt their business, however, Jonathan Cruz, a member of the coalition, describes the strike as the ‘biggest he has ever seen,’ with thousands of drivers taking a stance nationwide, as reported by Reuters.
Lyft, which holds about 30 percent of the ride-sharing market in the country, on the other hand, has announced earlier that it will be providing weekly earnings for its drivers, in hopes of bringing more aboard as the competition with Uber gets more fierce, saying in a statement “We are constantly working to improve the driver experience, which is why just this month we released a series of new offers and commitments aimed at increasing driver pay and transparency.”
Uber. (Shutterstock)
Late last year, Uber and Lyft were subjected to pay settlements of $290 million and $38 million respectively in a New York case brought by Attorney General Letitia James, according to Reuters, regarding drivers’ pay, which she claimed to be the largest wage theft settlement in the history of her office.
Rallies are planned in Austin, Texas; Chicago, Illinois; Hartford, Connecticut; Newark, New Jersey; Miami, Florida; Orlando, Florida; Tampa, Florida; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.
