No minimum rate, high levels of commission charged by Uber, suspension in the event of repeated refusal of a race ... The drivers of VTC are angry. The Intersyndicale nationale VTC (INV) on Tuesday called on drivers to disconnect from VTC platforms on March 6 in order to denounce their working conditions. A gathering is also planned in front of the Parisian premises of Uber.
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The INV brings together VTC associations and unions across France, according to its coordinator Brahim Ben Ali. It calls for a “ total extinction of all apps ” such as Uber, Kapten or Marcel, on March 6.
Uber has been in conflict for months now, with some of its drivers. Several hundred have carried out blocking operations of the platform's logistics centers since mid-November, notably in Aubervilliers in Seine-Saint-Denis and at the headquarters of Uber France in Paris. At the origin of this movement: a change in procedures which allows Uber to suspend a driver in the event of repeated refusal of a race, thus depriving him of his work.
The levels of commissions levied by VTC platforms are also denounced, as is the presence of " false drivers " who use spoofed VTC cards. The drivers also demand the establishment of a minimum fare for the races. " It is a precarious job, we need social protection, " also said Brahim Ben Ali to AFP.
Paris taxis demonstrate Friday
The self-employed status of VTC drivers but also of bicycle deliverers is increasingly questioned in France. The Deliveroo meal delivery platform has just been condemned for hidden work. The service contract of one of its couriers has been reclassified as an employment contract: a first in France. 120 drivers from Lyon also filed a request on January 31 to reclassify their contractual relationship with employees. Brahim Ben Ali, the spokesperson for the INV also called on the delivery men to join the movement. More surprisingly, he also spoke to taxi drivers.
An intersyndicale of Parisian taxis also called for a "static demonstration" in front of the Gare de Lyon this Friday from 11 am and until one o'clock on Saturday. The drivers express their dissatisfaction with the redevelopment of the site which "will degrade the access of taxis to the station ". The intersyndicale therefore requests " free and exclusive access to taxis at the square in front of the Clock Tower, parking spaces for pre-ordered taxis and the maintenance of the taxi stand on rue de Bercy ".
" We will set up a free five minutes so that taxis can drop off their customers satisfactorily " and that vehicle flows can be better regulated, told AFP a spokesman for SNCF . A barrier must be installed in early March at the start of the access ramp to the station yard. Mountain bikes and individual vehicles will also be able to access the courtyard, for a fee. As for the station rue de Bercy, it must be maintained, he said.