Uber Drivers in Washington D.C. struggling to get the ends meet: study
New research from Georgetown University has codified what many Uber drivers have felt for years: it's hard to get on when your boss is an algorithm.
Researchers published their study on Thursday, after more than two years of interview with 40 drivers in the Washington D.C. area. The results are not meant to be representative of thousands of "partners", as Uber calls them, working on the platform worldwide.
"The data collected and reviewed here is evidence of structures of work that Uber drivers are navigating and what kind of workers are challenging that many face one of the most visible platform jobs," the authors said. Anecdotes also confirm stories told to Business Insider from several drivers across the country in recent months.
Among the Lithuania's frustrations with Uber ̵[ads1]1; both with the company and the app – expressed by drivers in interviews, was a clear problem: half of the interviewed drivers took home so little per month, less than $ 2000 per month, as they fall below Government's definition of poverty.
"Since it has operated in Washington, DC, Uber has reduced the base rate of drivers several times, added a rider's security fee (and then increased it, calling it a booking fee) and raising the commission it takes from new drivers, the study said. "These changes, built into the heart of the Uber platform, seem to have a point: keeping Uber drivers on the road and in the dark."
For their credit, Uber has opportunities for drivers when Unexpectedly, like a flat Tires or car accidents happen, but even they can sometimes cause more harm than good. ”The researchers compared the practices of the coal mining company's" corporate cities "for centuries earlier, here is an anecdote, our weight:
Trapped in Uber's debt trap after beating a pothole and damaging the car's suspension system, she spent almost all the money she needed to fix the car, when, when the vehicle repair work failed, she used more to rent a Uber car. The slope program offered lower credit barriers than traditional lenders, the payments that Uber was automatically deducted from the driver's paycheck were high. It looked like a business town. Joan paid $ 138, more than the national lease average of $ 100 per week. Before working for Uber, Joan would collect gift items from Craigslist and sell them on eBay or at flea markets. Her fixed income of about $ 35,000 as school bus drivers covered her mortgage, but not groceries for herself and her son. Joan started driving to Uber a couple of nights after work, and did for 16 hours. But within a year Joan joined Uber and returned the car. Even after driving six to seven days a week, she found herself behind bills.
Uber took issue with many of the findings of the investigation, pointing to the company's "180 day change" program, which it launched in June 2017 to combat the damaged reputation in the wake of sexism's claims and resignation of founder Travis Kalanick.
"Uber has changed a lot since this survey was started. Driver partners are the heart of our service – and Uber wouldn't be what it is today without them," a spokesman for the company said in an email. "We're building on what we've already introduced, such as tipping apps, a redesigned driver app, Instant Pay, and new rewards programs like Uber Pro, and we'll continue to improve the experience for and with drivers every day."
There is also a clear lack of society felt by Uber drivers, the study found.
" 75% of the drivers in this study said they had never had a drink or a meal with someone else who had ever driven for Uber," the study said. "The lack of physical space where workers met or assembled creates a material barrier to collective identities and deeply creates the geography of employment and opportunities for collective bargaining at the platform's workplace."
There were many drivers for online forums such as uberpeople.net, where drivers discuss everything from pay, best practices and more. Often, online forums are the only place that drivers can interface with others to compare the interaction with the company.
Uber has been striving hard to keep drivers classified as independent contractors rather than full-time employees, as it would be necessary to provide benefits. The company warned in its IPO filing this month that it could seriously damage the business if drivers were considered employees instead of contractors.
"Our conclusion is straightforward," the researchers said. "The patterns identified in this study question the extent to which working conditions in the rig industry are consistent with modern working standards."
You can read the entire study here.
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