Posted on: 19 February 2025

Dear members,

We will shortly be meeting Uber for our regular quarterly meeting.

GMB members have raised the issues below with your Reps, and we have sent into Uber for discussion at the upcoming meeting:

• Driver Earnings – this is a key issue and we are seeking a dedicated meeting to discussing driver earnings;
• Holiday Pay – Many members want Holiday Pay to be removed from the fare offer card;
• Insurance Documents – GMB members are concerned that genuine mistakes are being classed as fraudulent actions;
• Driver Deactivations – GMB members have ongoing concerns at speed of deactivation/level of evidence being relied upon/;

We are also seeking updates on issues that have been raised at previous quarterly meetings, some of them are below:

• Stopping riders from screenshotting Drivers' profile picture;
• Changes in airport cancellation fees;
• Giving Riders the ability to change bookings when needed i.e. X to XL
• Giving Drivers final say when Riders try to add stops/change destination mid-trip;
• Luggage expectations.

GMB has secured changes to Trip Radar since its trial last year but we are aware that it is still causing concern so will continue to engage Uber on the issue.

Following the meeting we will post updates on the talks once we confirm the details.

VALENTINES DAY

Ahead of Valentines Day, GMB knew that many members across the Country would be taking the chance to express their concerns on Valentines day, concerns that we understand.

That’s why GMB proposed to Uber (and Uber Eats/Deliveroo too) that they consider an additional bonus payment for Drivers (and Couriers) who decided to work Valentines Day; something we called for last year in the lead-up to Christmas.

GMB knows that our proposal wouldn’t have solved the overall issue of Driver earnings, but we believed that it was worth proposing to all the operators on behalf of members, and to give Operators a fair opportunity to respond.

As we move forward our focus again turns to the issues listed above including the overall earnings of members.

DRIVER SAFETY

Lastly GMB is worried that there may be an increasing amount of fake online posts about Drivers in our communities.

We will shortly be reaching out to members and the industry about how we can address these concerns.

Please look out for our message/email/survey in the next week.

Yours in union,

GMB National Officer          GMB National Uber Reps 

Posted on: 23 January 2025

Dear GMB Members,

Today there have been public calls for greater transparency over algorithmic transparency from platform operators.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jan/20/food-delivery-apps-ubereats-deliveroo-justeat-urged-to-reveal-how-algorithms-affect-uk-courierss-work

GMB has very clear position on algorithmic transparency, as it is important to supporting members in their efforts to increase their earnings via negotiation.

That’s why we’ve issued the following supportive statement:

"Algorithmic transparency is a massive issue across the entire platform economy.

"How much members are paid is a crucial building block of negotiation between workers and bosses.

"GMB needs to know how and when members are paid if we're going to be effective in raising their earnings and addressing inequality.

"Our members want greater transparency in how their earnings are calculated, particularly in terms of ‘dynamic pricing’, as our members seek to keep pace with the rise in cost of living."

In solidarity,

Eamon O’Hearn

GMB National Officer

Posted on: 6 December 2024

Dear members,

We hope you are all well and that you are looking forward to the festive season.

This is a short update on the recent Bolt decision.

There has been significant coverage of the decision and the two main parties, Leigh Day solicitors and Bolt have yet to reveal their next steps, and we expect that there will either be some form of negotiated settlement or an appeal by Bolt.

We have recently taken our own legal advice on the decision, as we want to also understand how this judgement could impact the industry more widely.

This is also because GMB has recently met with the Government Minister for Local Transport, including Taxi and Private Hire, Simon Lightwood, to outline our support for minimum industry standards, particularly those that include rights and standards for drivers.

This is just the start of the process but we are beginning to coordinate GMB members and resources across all our Regions to identify members’ priorities, and continue the campaign for dignity and respect for driver members.

Over the coming months we will be seeking your views, and asking you to actively support the campaign, so please ensure that when we send out surveys you take the chance to have your say or join us in campaign activities.

Yours in union,

GMB National Officer

Posted on: 8 November 2024

Dear members,

Today an Employment Tribunal has reached a decision on the status of Bolt drivers.

It builds on the decision GMB secured against Uber and brings the issues of wating time and multi-apping into focus.

GMB will be reviewing the judgement as well as convening a meeting of National Reps to consider the implications for individual members, but also for the industry as a whole.

At first glance it appears to provide clarity on waiting time for drivers who are only logged into the Bolt app, but the judgement doesn’t explore multi-apping.

We will do our best to provide updates to members as we go along.

Yours in union,

GMB National Uber Reps & GMB National Officer

Posted on: 13 December 2022

GMB has submitted a collective grievance to Bolt management, followed up by a series of test cases to the employment courts. We are campaigning with licensing authorities to make sure Bolt treat its drivers to the industry standard – offering them guaranteed minimum earnings, holiday pay, representation before de-platforming and accepting a duty of care for drivers for the safety and well being.

The UK Supreme Court has already confirmed these rights for drivers using similar Apps and an industry standard has been established that Bolt should follow.

Drivers using the Bolt platform are encouraged to join the GMB legal action to enforce this judgement – even if you also drive for Uber and other platforms. Please click on the link to get involved.

GMB Union takes on Bolt App over not providing self employed worker rights

Dear Colleagues,

The next cab to leave the rank in GMB Union drivers fight to level up the Private Hire Sector and obtain for drivers the self-employed rights that are being denied to them by Bolt. Just around the time of the outbreak of Covid GMB Union was sitting down and talking to Bolt senior executives regards setting up a positive relationship and making an agreement that covered all drivers. Our demands were the same then as they are now, that Bolt drivers are self-employed, but because they are controlled by Bolt, therefore they are denying drivers certain legal rights and protections that self-employed drivers are entitled to.

The simple question is as a driver do you want:

• Guaranteed Pay rise of 12.04%
• Holiday Pay
• Protection of earnings being the minimum of NLW
• A contributory company pension scheme
• Protection from whistleblowing and detriments

We believe you do - GMB Union won for drivers using the Uber app, and we will win for drivers using the Bolt App.

Existing GMB members - Sign up to our legal claim now it is that simple - click on the link Need support? Contact us | GMB

Not a GMB member: (or you know someone that uses the Bolt App) - get them to join the GMB Union on the grade 2 contribution rate click here Join GMB | GMB

Want to Know More? click on the link Need support? Contact us | GMB

See just some of the press and media links on these court cases click on the link https://www.gmb.org.uk/bolt

Union takes Bolt to court over pension rights - FTAdviser.com

GMB targets Bolt in fresh workers' rights legal action | GMB

Yours In solidarity

Mike Tinnion Mick Rix

President GMB T&PHNOC National Officer, GMB