Multinational ride-hailing service, Uber Technologies, has announced an increase in the minimum wage for drivers in France as part of a broader agreement between ride-hailing companies and driver representatives in the country.
Aiming to improve the income and working conditions for drivers, Uber will increase the minimum income per trip for drivers from €7.65 to €9 ($9.85). Drivers will now have a guaranteed income of €30 per hour, and will also receive €1 per kilometre travelled. The changes in hourly income guarantee and minimum wage per kilometre will be implemented by May 2024, while the increased revenue per trip will take effect from February 2024.
It appears the European Union (EU) has a hand in this, since it has provisionally agreed on a bill aimed at providing employee benefits to workers in app-based platforms, addressing issues related to sorting and ensuring labour and social protection rights. Other ride-hailing apps, such as Bolt and Free Now, have also reportedly raised their minimum wages in line with the changing landscape of gig worker regulations.
The proposed EU bill focuses on ensuring that app-based delivery workers are not wrongly classified as self-employed, a classification that can lead to the denial of important labour and social protection rights. In New York, a recent state appeals court upheld a minimum wage law for app-based delivery workers, reinforcing the trend of addressing labour issues within the gig economy.
