Bengaluru, March 25

Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers (IFAT) has called Uber’s drivers advisory council (DAC) a practised ploy to set up an “illegal company union.”

Speaking to BusinessLine, Shaik Salauddin, National General Secretary at (IFAT) said, “Uber has been doing this all across the world. The DAC is no different from the Independent Drivers Guild (IDG) that Uber setup in New York and signed the secret contract with. It is no different than the secret agreement that Uber has signed with United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) in Canada and with the GMB Union in the UK.”

Why alternate institution?

Further, he questioned the need to set up an alternate institution, when there is already a driver organisation with three years of public history of work. Indian Federation of App Based Transport Workers (IFAT) was founded in 2019. Responding to Uber’s decision to set up a DAC, a Fairwork India spokesperson also said, “it is mystifying why, in constituting the drivers council, Uber chose not to consult established unions like IFAT which have long been working to provide voice to drivers’ issues and concerns.”

In 2021, Uber scored zero points in Fairwork India’s annual ratings analysing the working conditions of app-based gig workers in India. Fairwork India 2021 ratings are produced by the Fairwork India Team, led by the Centre for IT and Public Policy (CITAPP), International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore (IIIT-B), in association with Oxford University.

Fairwork focuses on five principles of fair gig work: fair pay, fair conditions, fair contracts, fair management, and fair representation. Across the industry, no company had scored any point on fair representation in the ratings, as platform companies were reluctant in talking to the collective body of workers.

Further, IFAT’s Salauddin said, “if there is no malicious intent in Uber setting up a Driver Advisory Council, then all Uber has to do is to recognise drivers as workers / employees under Indian law as per the plea IFAT has made in the Indian Supreme Court and all matters can then be discussed and negotiated under the structure of formal law.”

‘Positive development’

On the other hand, Ambika Tandon, researcher at The Centre for Internet and Society (CIS), called Uber’s step to set up the driver advisory council, a positive development. “Uber has been notorious world over in terms of not engaging with workers. Despite the level of protests we have seen against Uber across the world, the company has not had any direct association or even recognised drivers’ concerns in any of these contexts. So, this development is definitely a step forward. However, it is yet to be seen what kind of outcomes will actually come out of this.”

In a statement released on March 23, Uber said, it has launched a National Driver Advisory Council (DAC) to facilitate a two-way dialogue between Uber and drivers to address all critical issues and improve drivers’ platform experience.  The Driver Advisory Council has a third-party review board led by Aapti Institute, a Bengaluru-based think tank to provide independent oversight on the council’s work. From helping build the DAC to moderating discussions, surfacing actionable insights to follow-ups, the board will help anchor the initiative.

‘Drivers at heart of change’

Commenting on the announcement, Prabhjeet Singh, President, Uber India, and South Asia, had said, “Drivers are the backbone of Uber. The Driver Advisory Council is our earnest attempt to listen directly to drivers and stay 100 per cent focused on their needs. Be it building the product, setting up processes, or choosing the right partnerships — direct feedback, actionable insights and deeper engagement will help drive outcomes beneficial for all. We are committed to provide an open, accessible, and rewarding platform for drivers to make sustainable earnings. The changes that may come through this council could be big and small, but the drivers will be at the heart of them all.” 

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