Angry VTC drivers gathered in front of Airport terminal 1 of Nice, France on 21st of  November.

A large number of Uber drivers in Nice are on strike against rising commission fees and falling earnings. The strike began at 6 am on 21 November, demanding better working conditions and fair pay. The strike is against the fees imposed by the ride-hailing giant, Uber.

Uber drivers in Nice are deeply concerned about the recent hike in commission fees of up to 45% on some busy routes. The Union VTC 06-83 highlighted their concern. Combined with rising fuel prices and operating expenses, this hefty commission is significantly affecting drivers’ earnings.

Driver is the world’s most beautiful job – Florian Rubeli

The spokesman of the Union VTC ( passenger vehicle driver) 06-83 florian rubeli said, Driving is the world’s most beautiful job. I started 10 years ago.  I used to work eight, nine hours to have a decent earning and now I have to work 14 to 15 hours to have the same amount.  The commission has jumped from 15% to 45% in eight years, while inflation, fuel prices, and other expenses continue to rise but our wages are shrinking.

Our only demand is to Please Listen us 

Rubeli expressed his views on their demand, he said “we want them to please listen to us, come with us and see our life, our struggle.  We all love our job, but now we are struggling and getting money for peanuts.

What we’ll do next:

We are heading to Paris to meet with the Minister of Transportation on Monday. We’re hoping they’ll hear us, they will hear our issues and come up with solutions but yes we’ll continue raising our voice against Uber’s exorbitant commission fees. 

Although Uber has not yet addressed the particular issues brought up by the drivers from Nice, the business has previously defended its pricing system, claiming that it is needed to invest in new technologies and maintain the calibre of its services.

But for a lot of VTC drivers, the future is still unclear. They are urging lawmakers to step in and defend platform workers’ rights as they continue to struggle with growing expenses and diminishing incomes.