Fast-food lovers beware: Uber Eats drivers might be going on strike soon
Delivery services have made the world a much more convenient place and while it might be great being able to get everything delivered to your doorstep, it's not all sunshine and rainbows.
Human beings have gotten very used to a certain level of convenience.
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Services like food delivery have made it easier for us to relax at home and have an entire full-course meal without having to really lift a finger or get out of our pajamas.
Although we are quick to criticise or compliment the restaurants and the meals we receive, it's important to remember the people "behind-the-scenes".
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No matter the weather, come rain or shine, delivery drivers have to make sure you get the correct meal on time and even risk getting hurt making sure you get the best meal possible.
One of the most popular South African food delivery services has to be Uber Eats.
With thousands of users using the app daily, the drivers have their hands full and there are more issues coming to light.
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After Uber Eats cut delivery fees, the drivers in Gauteng brought the app and its deliveries to a complete standstill for two days just last month.
The drivers' strike made it clear that they were protesting the sudden decline of their income that has been taking place over the last few months.
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Now Uber drivers nationwide are following in their footsteps by planning a strike on Friday, the 20th of January, with their main demand being an increase in fees.
Uber has made the following changes from its old fare structure to its new fare structure (*amounts are net of the service fee):
- Old pick-up: R4.25* vs. New pick-up: R4.00*
- Old drop-off: R11.25* vs. New drop-off: R10*
- Old per/mile: R5.76* vs. New per/mile: R4.80*
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These changes were effective immediately since the 14th of December 2020 in Johannesburg and Pretoria, although Uber did say that a decrease was taking place they have also implemented incentives for the drivers.
We have also implemented temporary incentives for delivery-drivers to ensure their earnings remain strong and reliable, whilst we worked on growing the business. We believe this approach to be the most sustainable option, both today and in the long-term however we will continue monitoring driver economics and marketplace dynamics to ensure partners continue to thrive when using the Uber Eats app. Delivery-drivers still have access to Uber Rewards, Injury Protection, and all our safety features such as the in-app emergency button, as well as access to 24/7 support. We also rolled out Uber Connect for the transportation of packages to unlock further earning opportunities for drivers.
Drivers have called on each other to stay offline, no matter where in the country they are and some will be picketing outside certain big fast food outlets (like McDonald's), while a group will be protesting in front of the Uber offices in Sandton.
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According to Business Insider, the drivers only have a few demands apart from the fee increase, one being that courier deliveries should be limited to less than 100km, seeing as most of the drivers use scooters and can't access highways.
During these trying times, job security and a stable income are not always guaranteed, so it's impossible to say whether the strike will go forth as planned and if Uber will listen to its drivers and implement their demands.
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Uber Eats has since released the following statement:
The well-being of delivery-drivers has and continues to be a top priority. South Africa has seen a number of challenges in the last year and based on our data, consumers are more price-sensitive than ever before. For our business to remain sustainable for customers, restaurants, and delivery-drivers we needed to implement sustainable changes to our fee structure as fewer orders from customers means less earning opportunities for all.
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Main image courtesy of iStock