Uber: EU rules will see us pull out of “hundreds” of European cities — Brussels’ proposal to classify gig workers as de facto employees could slam the breaks on operations across the bloc

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Uber: EU rules will see us pull out of “hundreds” of European cities — Brussels’ proposal to classify gig workers as de facto employees could slam the breaks on operations across the bloc::An Uber boss has issued a stark warning that Brussels' proposal to classify gig workers as de facto employees could slam the breaks on operations across the bloc.

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"Our business model isn't sustainable unless we remove worker rights"

luckely everyone has become wary of what these tech bros startups are all about. Tech companies like this just add extra steps to a preexisting business and pride themselves of being innovative

But but but, there's an app, surely that's worth all the downsides right.

Don’t forget consumer protections!

Uber somehow managed to convince people that it’s not their fault if their drivers don’t follow traffic laws, drive intoxicated, and assault people.

19 more...

The hubris of thinking that a random driver-exploiting app is some kind of godsend utility and we'll be scared of losing it.

At this point the old school taxi companies have their apps too, you're not the cool kid anymore, uber

All anyone ever wanted was an app. Uber stopped being cheapna decade ago. It's not competitive so let it die.

Around here any taxi driver can have their rating on the online app reset to 5 stars for $50 whenever their want.

As much as people hate WalMart, the folks in the south side of Chicago seem pretty unhappy they lost it.

Travis Kalanick would refer to himself as an 'entrepreneur'

If you can't pay your workers ethically then your business doesn't deserve to exist. Simple as that.

Yes. These people are not entitled to be business owners. If they can't hack it, then get out of the way for the people that can. But don't worry, business owners - I'm sure you'd be perfectly happy being a gig worker for another company instead, right?

If your business model requires the economic exploitation of your workers, your company possesses no legitimate reason to exist.

Similar to what I always say: if your company's survival relies on tax evasion, you shouldn't have a company.

This might not be universal, but here it doesn't even require it.

Back in 2017, Uber tried to expand to my home province and tried to get us to change our local regulations regarding rideshare (it boiled down to Uber being required to call its drivers employees and to function like the pre-existing taxi services).

Local government doesn't budge, so Uber decides that it doesn't want to come anymore. Within the year, a local alternative pops up that complies with the regulations Uber tried to fight, and they're still profitable 6 years later.

It's not that Uber isn't capable of paying their employees living wages, it's that they can earn more money if they don't.

"Since 2021 in the UK, Uber drivers are considered ‘workers’, which is not full employee status but does mean they receive sick pay and annual leave.

The firm has gone further than UK competitors including Ola and Bolt in worker benefits.

The number of drivers on the UK platform has doubled in recent years."

Go fuck yourself uber.

Honestly that's good, who cares ?

Having just returned from Australia on vacation, I'll say it was extremely inconvenient when Uber wasn't in a region. We even managed to get stuck in a small airport because there were no regular taxis, and the local Taxi app simply didn't work for the required 2fa with a foreign phone number (though the UI for selecting country was there, no text was ever received).

Uber is great when available while traveling. Makes life so much easier.

That said, I fully support regulating them to have to support their drivers as any other employer. Fuck them and their repeated threats to their ball and go home. Force them out of every market until they concede and restructure.

Um, you do realise that the only reason you couldn't get a normal taxi was because Uber's business model was to destroy the industry and take over?

... yes, they destroyed the taxi industry in a remote airport where they never rolled out service to. Right.

Oh boy 😂

Edit - I should explain

Uber never rolled out service to the airport because it wasn't profitable enough, that would be the only reason

The few remaining taxi drivers still in work after Uber destroyed their industry won't go to the airport, for the same reason Uber didn't. But now the taxi drivers are even less likely to go there as they're forced to go where the money is, wherever that may be

Let's face it, if you ever used Uber to save yourself a few dollars, it was at Uber's expense; they made a loss on it

Now the taxi drivers have gone, they have a monopoly and have quadrupled their prices

As they say, there's never one flake of snow that thinks it was responsible for an avalanche

Your point was obvious. It's still awful and makes bad assumptions on taxi availability and demand in an a rural area. Your entire argument seems to be based on city economics of supply and demand at scale.

Good, if someone is selling their labor they should be protected as an employee.

As a European, all I can say is good riddance, you greasy fuckers.

I'm going to celebrate the day when they 'pull out' of hundreds of European cities.

So people will go back to fairly-paid taxi drivers. Not seeing a problem here.

F you, Uber.

They tried to bypass taxi laws in our main city and the municipality just kicked them out. Never thought I would say it, but here am I:

Good job, government. Well done.

An Uber boss has issued a stark warning that Brussels’ proposal to classify gig workers as de facto employees could slam the breaks on operations across the bloc.

don't you dare threaten us with a good time

Oh no!

Anyways, I heard it was sunshine this weekend?