Uber drivers file class action over algorithm-based pay
Uber drivers across Europe have launched a class action lawsuit alleging the company's algorithm-based pay system suppresses wages and exploits drivers.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Uber drivers across the UK and Europe have launched a class action lawsuit against the ride-hailing company, claiming its algorithm-based pay system unfairly suppresses wages and exploits drivers. A group of drivers marched into Uber's European headquarters in Amsterdam on the morning of the filing, bearing a writ that alleges the company uses its technology to manipulate and monitor drivers.
The claim is being brought on behalf of 241,000 drivers across seven European countries. The drivers argue that Uber's algorithms do not simply balance supply and demand, as the company says, but instead profile individual drivers. They claim the system learns from drivers' behaviour, including which jobs they accept or reject and when and where they tend to work, in order to predict how little they might be prepared to accept for a particular journey.
One driver, Kola Ado, who has worked for Uber for nine years, said he has been driving longer and earning less since the company changed its pricing. He described an incident where he and a friend, both in the same location, were offered different fares for the same journey: £22 for him and £26 for his friend. He said the algorithm is opaque and treats drivers differently.
Analysis cited in the legal claim suggests that, after adjusting for inflation, changes to Uber's pay determination have cost the average UK driver £26,000 in lost earnings since August 2021. The case is being heard in the Netherlands early next year.
Uber responded by saying that drivers see their earnings and the destination before they decide whether to accept a trip, and that the vast majority of total fares go to drivers. The company said it had not yet seen the details of the legal claim but categorically rejected the allegations.
The legal action comes as Uber has become highly profitable after years of losses. The company is also pushing ahead with autonomous taxis, believing the future is driverless. The court case will be heard before that rollout progresses further.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | ITV |
|---|---|
| A legal claim was brought on behalf of 241,000 Uber drivers across seven European countries. | |
| Analysis suggested the average UK Uber driver lost £26,000 in earnings since August 2021 due to changes in Uber's pay determination. | |
| The court case will be heard in the Netherlands early next year. | |
| Uber said drivers see their earnings and trip destination before deciding whether to accept. | |
| Uber said it had not seen the details of the legal claim and categorically rejected the allegations. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
This report focuses on the contrast between Uber's financial success and the alleged exploitation of drivers. It leads with the march and the writ, then details the profiling claim and includes a specific driver's example. The tone is critical of Uber, using phrases like 'Orwellian surveilled workforce' and highlighting the £26,000 loss figure.
- “Uber has gone from routinely loss-making to highly profitable in just a few years, but it's upset some of its drivers on the way.”
- “It's really an Orwellian surveilled workforce.”
- “I was with my friend in Tottenham. I turned on my app. I was offered a job going to central London for £22 and it was offered for £26.”
This report frames the story as a tense relationship between Uber and its drivers, with a focus on the legal action as a response to alleged manipulation. It repeats the core details but adds a slightly more analytical opening about the employer-contractor dynamic. The tone is similar to the Evening News, but the intro gives more context on the underlying conflict.
- “The relationship between the ride sharing company Uber and the people who drive for it between employer and contractor is sometimes a pretty tense one.”
- “Uber drivers are on the march this morning.”
- “They claim Uber is profiling individual drivers learning from their behavior, which jobs they accept and reject where and when they tend to work in order to predict how little they might be prepared to accept for a particular journey.”
Broadcast Timeline
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