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Uber loses licence to operate in London, will still operate while appealing

(www.bbc.com)
256 points reubensutton | 3 comments | 25 Nov 19 10:19 UTC | HN request time: 0.665s | source
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_vrmm ◴[25 Nov 19 10:59 UTC] No.21627000[source]▶
I know this opinion is not popular but I'm so happy everytime I see bad news for Uber and all these companies that only exist thanks to basically exploiting THEIR workers.

Private transporting is not sustainable and it is not something that has to be affordable for everyone, even less by lowering workers wages or playing with the tariffs by demand. Taxi regulations gives us passengers safety and fair prices. There are taxi apps that work exactly like Uber's like 'Free-now' where you can see your trip, its aproximate cost, the driver's rating...

We have to promote governments that support affordable and good quality public transport, even though I love driving alone in my car.

I hope Deliveroo, Glovo and other companies are also punished for their labour rights abuses. Make sure your delivery guy is payed fairly or either go to the restaurant yourself.

So many years of labour rights fights being attacked by these startups that do not invent anything but base their business model on lower wages.

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UK-Al05 ◴[25 Nov 19 12:00 UTC] No.21627320[source]▶
"exploiting THEIR workers." - The UK has full employment right now. If they're working uber, they're doing it because they like working for Uber.
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1. ivanbakel ◴[25 Nov 19 12:44 UTC] No.21627621[source]▶
What a ridiculous position - the UK only has full employment right now in part because of the tactics of companies like Uber. Gig-economy companies pump the "self-employed" figures with poor wages, hidden costs, and no employment benefits.

You could pay the whole country a penny a day if all you cared about was boosting a number metric. It wouldn't somehow translate to worker satisfaction.

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2. UK-Al05 ◴[25 Nov 19 13:12 UTC] No.21627786[source]▶
You have to remember that people work for the best option they have right now. If uber wasn't their best option they simply move to a better job.

If you ban uber you simply remove the current best option for most people working for uber. You would worsen the conditions for them.

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3. ivanbakel ◴[25 Nov 19 17:05 UTC] No.21630172[source]▶
As was pointed out in the other reply - if you claim that full employment means that people always have other opportunities than Uber, then there is no harm in axing Uber. That there are worse actors than Uber in the job market is a terrible defense of it.