Uber strike: ‘Several hundred’ drivers gather outside London headquarters as 24-hour walkout begins

Customers urged not to use app and ‘cross digital picket line’ during industrial action

Uber drivers gathered outside the company’s London headquarters as employees across the UK staged a 24-hour walkout in protest over pay and working conditions.

Images and videos of protests were shared on social media. Demonstrators could be seen waving flags and setting off flares.

An IWGB spokesperson said that “several hundred” drivers gathered outside Uber’s London headquarters, with many more taking part in the strike by not logging into the app.

“It was an incredibly strong showing from our drivers, with the protest growing by the minute," they said. “Up to a hundred drivers also showed up outside the Birmingham office.”

Drivers are demanding an increase of fares to £2 per mile, a 10 per cent reduction in commissions paid by drivers to Uber and an end to “unfair app deactivations”.

They are also asking Uber to respect the ruling of a 2016 tribunal judgement ordering the company to class its drivers as employees, rather than self-employed and afford them corresponding rights.

In 2017 Uber lost its first appeal against the ruling, although the US company has subsequently launched a second appeal.

James Farrar, IWGB's united private hire drivers branch chair and one of two employees who took Uber to court in 2016, told the BBC: “In the history of our union, I've never seen anything quite like it.“

Mr Farrer said drivers had been “left with no choice but to take strike action”, after “ years of watching take home pay plummet and with management bullying of workers on the rise”.

He added: “We ask the public to please support drivers by not crossing the digital picket line by not using the app during strike time."

Deputy Labour leader Tom Watson expressed his support for the strike on Twitter on Tuesday morning.

He wrote: "Today’s 24-hour strike by Uber drivers is a hugely significant fight for workers’ rights against the whole gig economy. I would urge Uber customers to lend their support from 1pm today by not using the digital app.”

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell also called on people to ”respect the app picket line.“

A spokeswoman for Uber said: “We are always looking to make improvements to ensure drivers have the best possible experience and can make the most of their time driving on the app. That's why over the last few months we’ve introduced dozens of new features, including sickness, injury, maternity and paternity protections.

”An academic study last month found that drivers in London make an average of £11 an hour, after accounting for all of their costs and Uber’s service fee. We continue to look at ways to help drivers increase their earnings and our door is always open if anyone wants to speak to us about any issues they’re having.”

A Court of Appeal hearing over workers’ rights at Uber is due later this month.