GMB SEEKS TRIBUNAL RULING AGAINST UBER ON MINIMUM WAGE UNDERPAYMENT

GMB London Uber Driver Member Paid £1.47 Per Hour Below Minimum Wage For 234 Hours In August As Union Seeks Tribunal Ruling On Underpayment

Union plans to recover underpayment on the national minimum wage as part of the Tribunal claim that Uber drivers are directed workers says GMB Professional Drivers.

A GMB member who works exclusively for Uber as a cab driver in London was paid £5.03 net per hour for 234 hours driving during August calendar month. This is £1.47 per hour below the national minimum wage of £6.50 per hour. For each hour he worked the fees he paid to Uber were £2.65 per hour which equated to 53% of his net pay per hour.

In July GMB, the union for professional drivers, announced that it had instructed Leigh Day to take legal action in the UK on behalf of members driving for Uber on the grounds that Uber is in breach of a legal duty to provide them with basic rights on pay, holidays, health and safety and on raising complaints. See notes to editors for copy of GMB press release and copy of article from the Times on this litigation.

GMB is asking Uber drivers to keep detailed records of income and expenditure so that underpayment of the national minimum wage can be recovered as part of the Tribunal claim  that Uber drivers are directed workers and thereby covered by legislation on pay, holidays, health and safety and on raising complaints.

Set out in the table is a summary of the details of total income and expenditure and hours worked by this GMB member. GMB is happy to share the details with media outlets.    

Aug 2015
   
Total income from all sources working for Uber   

£3,232.71
Less Uber fees   

- £619.60
Less other expenditure   

- £1,436.75
Pay for August   

£1,176.37
Total hours in August   

234.00
Pay per hour   

£5.03
Uber fees per hour   

£2.65   

Other expenditure includes: Licensing; MOT; Road Tax; Servicing / Maintenance; TfL Inspection; Car Finance; Fuel; Insurance; Parking; Uber deductions.

Steve Garelick , Secretary of the GMB professional drivers branch, said “ In August this GMB cab driver working for Uber kept detailed records of time spent driving and his income and his expenditure.

Taking into account his expenditure, this GMB member was paid £5.03 for every hour he worked in August. Fees he paid to Uber were £2.65 for every hour he worked or 53% of his hourly pay.

The hourly pay is below the national minimum wage of £6.50.  If TfL keep issuing new licenses and Uber keep expanding – driving down fares, upping commissions – this will only get worse.

This fall in drivers incomes poses a threat to public safety. This is because as driver incomes fall they have to work more hours to make the same money. Uber don’t control hours and neither do TFL.  Drivers fatigue is a huge public safety and occupational risk.

GMB plan to recover underpayment on the national minimum wage as part of the Tribunal claim that Uber drivers are directed workers. 

We want all Uber drivers to keep detailed records so that we can recover the underpayment for them.”

End

Contact Simon Rush on 07863 256411 or Steve Garelick 07565 456 776, or Michelle Bacon 07961 709680 or GMB press office 07921 289 880 or 07974 251 823 or Steve.garelick@gmbdrivers.org