TAXIFY, PARIS LAUNCH, IS NOT TOO SMOOTH


VTC drivers blocked the Taxify recruitment office in Paris in early afternoon to denounce the "aggressive arrival" of the new booking platform on the market of cars with driver (VTC), according to the union FO-Capa VTC.

According to the union, this action has caused "a few dozen drivers have blocked the Taxify recruitment station" shortly after its opening at 13:00.

Access to the premises, located rue Saint-Maur (11th arrondissement), was then closed by decision of the owner of the building, told AFP Helmi Mamlouk, spokesman of the union.

Nevertheless, drivers decided to stay in front of the building "to check that they do not reopen," he added.

"They have arrived in an aggressive, shameful way, and they are told that we are there, that there are social partners, that we have unions opposite, we do not agree that they break the market prices, which are already deplorable, "he said to explain the motivations of the drivers.

According to a source close to the management, the drivers - numbering "ten" - dispersed in calm after an hour of blocking and the premises were closed for the afternoon.

They were challenging a "company launch offer" proposing a 50% reduction in passenger fares in October, according to the same source who said that the loss of earnings for drivers is compensated by the company. "There is no reason to change this offer," the source added.

Taxify launched last week in Paris with the ambition to compete with Uber, the industry leader. Present in 19 countries, in Central and Eastern Europe but also in Africa, the platform ensures that its rates will be 10% lower than those of Uber. She also promises to take only 15% commission on the race against 25% for Uber.
It is supported by the Chinese giant of the VTC and the taxi Didi Chuxing, which bought last year the operations of Uber in China.

Since the first mobilizations of drivers of VTC two years ago against the tariff policy of Uber, several associations and unions of drivers question regularly the platforms on the conditions of work of the drivers and their "impoverishment". They had obtained from the previous Government the initiation of work for the introduction of a minimum tariff applicable to the TCW sector.

Translated from :

http://bit.ly/2wKdlSk
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GMB PRESS RELEASE 9 Oct 2017

GMB Calls on Uber to Demonstrate Its New Humility by Coming Clean on Driver Hours in the UK

The reason Uber won't come clean on this is that it would expose the reality that the 40,000 drivers would be working just over four hours per week says GMB.

GMB comments on the latest set of accounts, for year ending 31 December 2016, released by Uber London, the UK operating company.

[1]

Maria Ludkin, GMB Legal Director said:
"Uber could demonstrate its new found humility shown to the Mayor of London by showing a bit of transparency in its UK accounts.

“Uber gives the impression that it has an income of £36.9m in the UK by selling unspecified services to other Uber overseas companies - in other words it is an exporter of services from the UK. What a pile of tosh.

“In fact, Uber sends all the fare income made in the UK to a company in Holland.

"This Dutch company pays 75% of this income to drivers in the UK. GMB is working on the basis that the other 25% is the commission to Uber that comes back to the UK and makes up the lion’s share of Uber income in the UK.

“The reason Uber won't come clean on this is that it would expose the reality that the 40,000 drivers would be working just over four hours per week for Uber. So much for 40,000 jobs being on the line.

“It is high time that Uber stopped the spinning and came clean on what hours its drivers work each week.”

ENDS
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