Uber drivers in Glasgow are to stage a protest in the city demanding fair pay and more protecting while warning that a new system being put in place will put lives at risk.

The drivers say their pay has plummeted in the last year, with only 20 percent of them seeing their earnings rise in comparison to last year.

The protest is to take place outside the company’s ‘green light hub’ in Washington Street in the city.

Similar protests have been staged in Glasgow in recent years with drivers concerned about pay and safety.

A survey of drivers who are members of GMB Scotland, who are representing them, revealed only one in five are earning more now than they were a year ago.

GMB say the way their fares and wages are calculated is ‘unclear’ and fuels uncertainty and frustration among the workers.

Uber uses surge-pricing to increase fare prices when demand is higher but GMB Scotland organiser in the sector, Paul McLaughlin, says Uber must be clearer and ensure the increased revenue is shared with drivers.

He said: “Our members are committed and skilled drivers working to ensure a first-class service for Uber users.

“The very least they deserve is to be given full and clear information about how fares and earnings are calculated.

“The company must understand the need for that clarity and urgently deliver it.”

Drivers are also fearing that the proposed introduction and rollout of the new ‘Trip Radar’ system will endanger lives on the road.

The electronic system which offers fares to multiples drivers at the same time demands drivers’ attention, and they claim, will be a distraction adding to the risks to them, passengers and other road users.

Mr McLaughlin said: “The rollout of this system should be paused until the drivers’ concerns are properly addressed.

“The company’s absolute priority must be the safety of our members and every other road user.”

Drivers in Glasgow previously protested last year about their long working hours with some suggesting they had to work as much as 100 hours per week. 

A similar protest over pay took place in Glasgow and across the UK in 2021 with drivers also claiming on that occasion that staff had been unfairly dismissed.

The controversial taxi firm first launched in Glasgow in 2015, and have since been working in Edinburgh and they are expecting to begin operating in Aberdeen before Christmas.

The company had been awarded a licence to launch in 2018 and later surrendered it, but decided to apply again and were once again given permission to launch in June. 

They had hoped to begin working in the city in August but an appeal from the Unite union had held that up. That has since been dropped and they are planning to begin driving there before the end of the year.

Uber have been contacted for comment.

The Glasgow action mirrors similar protests and pickets across the UK in 2024. Drivers in Bristol are targeting the company's local office every Wednesday, while in April a convoy of drivers brought Birmingham to a standstill.

Commenting on the Birmingham protests, an Uber spokesperson told the BBC: “We regularly engage with drivers, including through our industry-leading agreement with GMB Union which ensures all drivers have access to full union representation.”

There have also been protests in other countries where the app operates, with drivers carrying out a nationwide strike in America in February and drivers in Minneapolis winning a pay dispute against the company in March.