Uber has announced it is looking to employ another 20,000 drivers in the UK by the end of 2021. This will increase the platform’s driver network to 90,000 and is due to a surge in demand since lockdown rules were eased last month.
The ride-hailing app firm has had a 50% increase in trips since lockdown rule changes on the 12th of April, which allowed pubs and restaurants to serve customers outdoors, as well as the opening of non-essential shops such as retail. The demand for rides is expected to increase further in the coming summer as restrictions are eased further.
Jamie Heywood, Uber’s regional general manager for northern and eastern Europe, said: “As cities open up and people start moving again, we are encouraging 20,000 new drivers to sign up.”
In February, the Supreme Court ruled that Uber drivers were not self-employed contractors but workers. Initially, Uber claimed that this ruling only applied to the 25 drivers named in the case. However, Uber soon changed this stance and agreed to give all its UK drivers a guaranteed minimum wage, holiday pay and pensions from the 17th of March.
However, two of the lead claimants in the case said the changes that Uber have made do not go far enough. Stating that the Supreme Court had recommended that drivers should have rights to the minimum wage from the moment they switch the app on, but Uber has only agreed to pay from when a journey is booked.
