An advocacy group calls for ride-hailing companies to publish driver workload data, with the aim of addressing worker exploitation and reducing carbon emissions.
Advocates are pressing ride-hailing companies, including Uber, to disclose data on driver workloads. This measure aims to allow regulators to combat worker exploitation and address environmental concerns. Worker Info Exchange, a prominent pressure group, has revealed that drivers for ride-hailing services could have potentially missed out on over £1.2bn in wages and costs last year due to inadequate compensation mechanisms.
Reports indicate that ride-hailing and food delivery services operate on a business model dependent on an excess supply of vehicles to meet the demands of an always-on marketplace. This model has led to widespread exploitation, trapping many drivers in debt and in-work poverty. Additionally, in 54 cities across the US and Canada, Uber already provides anonymised data on journey distances and times, either voluntarily or through regulatory requirements.
Using data from these cities, as well as Uber’s own published emission reports and UK drivers’ experiences, Worker Info Exchange estimates that nearly 40% of the miles driven by these drivers are completed before picking up passengers. Uber refutes the claim that drivers are unpaid for these miles, noting that many drivers earn income through other ride-hailing apps. Following a 2021 UK Supreme Court ruling, Uber is required to compensate drivers from the moment they log into the app, partially covering these ‘dead miles.’ Despite this, the pressure group asserts that sector-wide, drivers could have earned an additional £1.29bn in 2023 if paid £15 per hour for unpaid driving time and were reimbursed for expenses such as petrol. The failure to monitor driver mileage also results in some drivers working to the point of exhaustion.
The issue extends beyond ride-hailing, affecting food delivery services which are also urged to publish journey data. The report highlights that many urban problems, such as precarious employment, low wages, road safety, congestion, poor air quality, and climate change, are part of the daily experiences of gig economy workers.
In response, an Uber spokesperson stated that more drivers and couriers are choosing to work on the Uber platform than ever before. They emphasised that drivers receive worker rights, including pension and holiday pay, with average earnings exceeding £30 per hour. The spokesperson added that drivers favour the flexibility to work with multiple apps, thereby earning additional income when not engaged with Uber. They stressed that Uber conforms to all regulatory and legal standards in every market of operation.
The Labour government has pledged to consider revamping the worker designation system, which might see a shift away from the ‘worker’ status in favour of a binary classification of self-employed or employed. According to Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, the goal is to eradicate ‘bogus self-employment,’ ensuring fair employment rights for all workers. Trades unions and advocacy groups are monitoring these developments closely, wary of any policy dilution as Labour courts business sectors.
Worker Info Exchange, led by James Farrar, co-lead claimant in the Uber Supreme Court case, aims to empower gig workers by granting them more control over their data and the employment decisions made based on this information.
The advocacy for transparency in the gig economy seeks to safeguard workers’ rights and address broader societal issues such as carbon emissions and urban congestion. By compelling ride-hailing and delivery companies to disclose detailed work data, campaigners hope to foster a fairer and environmentally conscious industry.