"Uber and Bolt drivers strike on Valentine's Day", 14 February 2025

Thousands of Uber, Bolt and Addison Lee drivers are logging off during peak hours on Valentine's Day in a campaign for better pay and working conditions, a union says...

The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) said it would unite "drivers up and down the country faced with low pay and insecure conditions"...

Vasilica Dumitrescu has been working for various platforms, including Uber and Bolt, for the last nine years. The 51-year-old said she works seven days a week, clocking up more than 80 hours, just to make ends meet.

"It's really bad financially, emotionally physically, everything," Ms Dumitrescu said...

"The customers, they are with us," she added. "Every driver is upset because they don't earn enough. They ask you how much you get from this trip and are surprised at how little we get."

An Uber spokesperson said all its drivers are guaranteed to earn at least the national living wage, and that the majority can and do earn more.

"On average, drivers across the UK earn more than £30 per hour when taking trips on Uber," the spokesperson said.

"They also have access to industry-leading protections such as holiday pay, a pension and free sickness and injury cover, as well as formal representation through GMB Union."

A spokesperson for Bolt said the company was "committed to ensuring our prices balance the earning needs of drivers with affordability for passengers".

"All drivers receive holiday pay and monetary supplements to ensure they earn at least the national living wage, alongside a pension," the spokesperson added...

Addison Lee has been contacted for comment. The company previously told the PA news agency: "We have a close working relationship with our drivers, which was further reinforced in our recent bi-annual driver satisfaction survey. We do not expect to see any disruption to volumes or service levels on February 14."...

Helio Santos...is another driver taking part in the strike.

He has been driving with Uber for three years and said that while he spent 70 to 80 hours per week online, that often translates to just 25 to 30 hours of driving...

"This is unsustainable," he said. "Fees are too low, there is no safety, no transparency. Uber keeps ignoring us."

Mr Santos, who has three children including a four-year-old, said Uber's promise of the national living wage was "meaningless".

"It is mocking us, saying drivers get a living wage...

The IWGB said that since drivers became "workers" under the law, they have reported their conditions have worsened.

Alongside demands for fairer pay and more secure work, the union is calling for the introduction of safety measures for drivers such as rider ID verification, complaint tracking systems, and support for victims of assault.

A spokesperson for Bolt said the company has committed €100m (£83.3m) over the next three years to support safety initiatives for its drivers. In recent years, it has introduced an in-app emergency assist button and provided additional passenger information prior to pick-up, the spokesperson added...