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Speaker: Confessions of an Uber Driver II: How we doing?

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  • goforit, in reply to BenWilson,

    good luck with that exam

    Auckland • Since May 2016 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • goforit,

    I did notice all of that, we will stand by our drivers and make them our drivers contest the rulings of our Govenment. lol lol what a bunch of wankers uber is.

    Auckland • Since May 2016 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • Brent Jackson,

    The pinged drivers should start suing Uber. Uber promised to "stand by them 100%" but have not. That's a breach of contract right there.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 620 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Brent Jackson,

    They are extremely careful to never give any specific details (and certainly no contracts) about what “standing by 100%” means. I think drivers will have a hard enough time with them breaching their actual contract, let alone an implied and illegal contract (I’m pretty sure a contract covering fines for illegal activity would be a very dangerous document for Uber to ever release, it would be hard evidence of inciting crime, not to mention profiting from it).

    But I agree, the drivers should most certainly be asking for support from Uber. The problem is, the non-compliant folk pretty much are as powerless as you could possibly get, with no leg to stand on. They’re basically begging Uber to help.

    So far I’m not aware of any evidence that Uber pays driver’s fines. Nor am I aware of any driver complaining that their fines were not paid by Uber, which suggests to me that it does, in fact, happen, and it’s done on the downlow, privately, after the fact, possibly on proviso that it is not made public. But that is just speculation.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to BenWilson,

    which suggests to me that it does, in fact, happen

    do you mean overseas or here?

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to BenWilson,

    standing beside drivers

    Generic problems emerging with that model of startup suggest selfish SanFran libertarians do not take into account the welfare of people who work for them. Verily the new serfs.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • goforit,

    just read an acticle that states Uber going to hide the fact when surge pricing kicks in.
    The notification will be in very fine print on the pax app.

    Auckland • Since May 2016 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • David Hood,

    Dunedin • Since May 2007 • 1445 posts Report Reply

  • goforit,

    Also Uber states its the safety net for unemployment as it can employ people as they loss their jobs.

    Auckland • Since May 2016 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    Yes it's a safety net in the same way that washing car windows at intersections is. Anyone can do it, even though they probably aren't following any employment laws. Startup cost is the cost of a squeegee, rates are good until the next guy starts up next to you. It's somewhat dangerous and compromises the public safety a bit. The difference that you have to buy a late model car, take risks on wear and tear, damage, pay petrol and run the gauntlet every day of being caught and severely punished. Which are all things the unemployed don't really need. Also, whilst being a job that anyone can get, it's a job it's easy to lose. You have basically no legal recourse at all and are required to provide not just a good service, but one that is either a 4.75 or 5 star service depending on whether you calculate the average completely unfairly, or in a way that makes sense respectively. There is no natural justice whatsoever, you never get to face you accusers, nor even to hear the accusations. You just get a chance to be retrained, to get your last chance, or you get terminated.

    Small wonder that the average length of service for an Uber Driver is around 6 months. It's a business model literally predicated around staff churn.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • goforit,

    very true Ben, hence the need for zero entry qualifications like PSL, P endorsement COF etc, zero other comp[iance to the State in the way of taxes etc and zero responsibilies to others in the way of insurance at the correct level. An increasing problem I now have to be on guard for is the lower end of the taxi industry think they can apply the same tactics, good thing we have regulations to adnere to or maybe we should just say hell to all the regs and let it all turn to an disorganised bun fight out there on the streets, mine you it nearly is.and we have uncle Guber to thank for this.

    Auckland • Since May 2016 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • goforit,

    Things are certainly changing in the world of paid passenger transport, have not been able to figure out what is actually happening but several things have come to my attention this week. The first is the taxi industry has become very pissed off with the Auckland Airport Company screwing the taxi industry down with higher access fees and forcing the companies to reduce there rates, secondly the Ezygo Taxi app now has a section for the private hire section of the industry, thirdly the Zoomy app is pulling away from the taxi industry and entering the share ride field. Looks like there is going to be so many options as everyone races to the bottom.

    Auckland • Since May 2016 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • goforit,

    Hi Ben, I see you are in the news again, don't you get the feeling you are talking to a brick wall.

    Auckland • Since May 2016 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    I am? Where? Soz, I'm without internet apart from on the phone, have been waiting 30 days for Chorus to let my ISP reconnect my fibre. It's like the bad old days when the phones were managed by a government department. But worse because you literally can't call Chorus about it.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    I don't have much choice plugging away at the brick wall, being a spokesperson. Yes it's a chore. I'm finding dealing with media to be so, too. There are many small tedious jobs to do at the moment. Unfortunately, that's the stuff lasting change is made of, lots and lots of boring work. At the moment my main job is data collection and cleaning. The fun business of analyzing it and making big claims or huge strategic decisions is some way off. Also building an association website is all new to me and Jesus that's a lot of work. Very lucky to have free experienced help on that.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz, in reply to BenWilson,

    Maybe we need a system where you can connect to your neighbour (for a small fee) and so on and thus remove the need for telcos (apart from to reach the world beyond NZ, I guess).

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • goforit,

    Ben you only been at it for a short time, I been trying to organise the taxi industry for years and at the moment we have the perfect oppertunity to do some thing about Uber but even taxi drivers don't care about it anymore they appear to be happy driving under the Uber condtions now as most taxi drivers are there under Uber now. All they can do is to complian to me about Uber but don't actually want to lose the pitance they get from Uber. Its so simple to stuff Uber up but most cannot see the simlicity of stuffing them up. I am so close to saying to hell with the drivers and just look after myself.

    Auckland • Since May 2016 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to goforit,

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    Wow, that is a great article by McCrone. Did his research, took all sides, etc. I was really quite nervous about what those photos were going to be put against, but that is a good solid piece of balanced journalism. Stoked!

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to goforit,

    I know what you mean goforit. Getting people to part with an actual membership fee to cover the costs of what we’re trying to do to provide for their rights is not easy.

    The old school Union model just isn’t going to work. Instead, we’re working on a model that has differing classes of membership depending what you want to our of it, and aims to provide more than just advocacy and group action coordination, but also value added services.

    In a functional sense we’re aiming to fill a whole lot of gaps in what really is an employment situation. I’d like to think that Uber would not even be in conflict with many of the goals. But who can really say at the moment? Their way of doing business is so master/slave at the moment that they might object on principle, in which case we have a real scrap on our hands.

    I’m holding out hope, however, that they will simply see the value of the association. But it could really genuinely be their belief system that somehow they are not simply the worst kind of exploitative capitalists, but instead that there really is some new economy in which it is OK to pay people this poorly, and still demand extremely high levels of service from them. It may even be that they just don’t know how badly they pay their drivers.

    It’s a major goal of the association to get the truth on this. That, in itself, will be a huge value-add, if not for Uber, then definitely anyone thinking of working for them. In possession of the true facts, it may well be that there are still large numbers of people that are going to keep happily providing their labour. But I personally doubt it.

    Instead I think what will happen is the recent substantial drop in service quality that has been noted by riders all around will continue and Uber’s brand will suffer badly and be extremely vulnerable to competitors, many of which are racing to this market.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to BenWilson,

    Wow, that is a great article by McCrone.

    It runs over 3 pages (including striking cover) in the Mainland section of the Press - one for your scrapbook - sing out if you want a hard copy posted up.
    :- )

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz, in reply to BenWilson,

    A bit like the Professional Contractors Group in the UK IT industry?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Rich of Observationz,

    Yes, along those lines. It ultimately has to be something drivers would join of their own free will, on its merits and value to them. That's the modern model of a "union" for contractors. Since the driver base is already divided over the value of legal action (well, actually what they're divided on is about whether they're prepared to pay for it), a model where people don't have to partake of legal action, but can still be members for the other benefits, is what we're trying to build.

    Already there is huge benefit just from contact with other drivers, from people giving free advice, tips, tricks, links, etc. This is especially necessary in the case of Uber work because they pretty much provide jack to help you. Their own helpdesk services and support are so poor that I think a lot of drivers would pay to get real help, real advice, about even the simplest aspects of their day to day work for Uber. To even find out what you are supposed to do about the myriad things that can come up in the day-to-day job is a mammoth task, because it has become lore that if you call Uber 5 times, you will get 5 different answers.

    Lots of things need the bargaining power of an organization. The absolute debacle that surrounds Uber drivers ability to pick people up from airports is a classic. Uber could have solved this just by actually organizing something. But they don't, leaving it to drivers to cop all the costs of individual negotiations. This is so poorly managed, and the pay is so poor, that lots of drivers simply won't service the airport any more. I won't, it would certainly cost me money to do it, because it is so infrequent, and the airport wants a ridiculously large sum for the right. Several hundred dollars per year. I'd have to do something like 50 trips to the airport just to break even on how much they want for it. Taxis can have that work - at least they can get paid enough for the jobs to make it even vaguely worthwhile.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Alfie,

    A see Christchurch taxi drivers have held an Uber protest outside National MP Nicky Wagner's office, objecting to Uber being allowed to operate illegally in NZ.

    Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report Reply

  • goforit,

    Hi Ben, the airport situation has all been about the airport company itself, up to the last tender round it was the highest bidder got on the airport and most of the bids where around $10,000.00 per year per taxi and a $2.00 barrier fee, thats why the fares where so high to cover those amounts. This tender round the Airport Company told the taxi companies they had to reduce there fares and give more fixed pricing, and the suggestion was made by them if the taxi companies did not comply they would look at Uber, the airport lowered it tender amounts but put up the barrier fees. Now even taxis are having second thoughts over the viabiltiy of working the airport.

    Auckland • Since May 2016 • 314 posts Report Reply

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