Lyft, Uber drivers planning worldwide strike

By: Rich C.

New York drivers for Uber, Lyft and other ride-sharing apps will be joining colleagues from across the globe by briefly going on strike Wednesday to demand better job security, higher wages and a guaranteed 80 percent cut of all fares.

Members of the New York Taxi Workers Association will be striking from 7 am to 9 am Wednesday just ahead of Uber’s initial public offering. They will be joining drivers in London, Los Angeles and other cities who will also be on strike.

“Wall Street investors are telling Uber and Lyft to cut down on driver income, stop incentives, and go faster to driverless cars,” NYTWA Executive Director Bhairavi Desai said. “With the IPO, Uber’s corporate owners are set to make billions, all while drivers are left in poverty and go bankrupt.

“That’s why NYTWA members are joining the international strike to stand up to Uber greed,” she said.

“I’m striking for my [5-year-old son’s] future… ,” added Sonam Lama, an Uber driver since 2015. “But it’s becoming harder and harder. First, Uber cut the rates, then they put too many cars on the roads, so there weren’t enough fares to go around.”

“We want Uber to answer to us — not to investors,” Lama said.