Uber to supply all UK drivers 20 hours of free childcare | EUROtoday

Every Uber driver within the UK will likely be eligible for 20 hours of free childcare beneath a brand new scheme supposed to get extra ladies driving taxis.

They will be capable to use the allowance by a nannying and babysitting app for the remainder of 2025.

“We really, really would like to attract more female drivers onto the Uber platform,” mentioned Uber UK General Manager Andrew Brem.

But the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB), which represents drivers, mentioned “anyone can see through” what it referred to as a “cynical PR stunt”.

“If Uber really wanted to support families, they would pay drivers enough money so that they could afford time off to be with their children,” it instructed the BBC in an announcement.

“Instead Uber’s insultingly low fees force drivers to spend so long on the roads that in many cases relationships rupture and families are broken up,” it added.

Uber mentioned it trialled free childcare with 1,000 drivers and had an overwhelmingly constructive response – with 96% of those that took half saying it made it simpler to tackle work.

Now, the scheme will likely be prolonged to the greater than 100,000 Uber drivers within the UK.

“Like some other occupations, [Uber driving] happens to be predominantly male – that’s not something that we’d like,” Mr Brem instructed BBC News.

He expects the free childcare to initially be utilized by present drivers quite than new ones, “but it’s more, I think, to get drivers into the habit of doing this.”

He provides: “By testing it at no cost, you have the experience, and you see the ease of getting childcare through this particular route.”

Uber UK will maintain the scheme open for the remainder of the yr after which “see how it goes,” by way of extending it additional, Mr Brem mentioned.

The agency will hope the transfer could assist assuage drivers who’ve taken strike motion in current months over what they are saying is unfair pay.

In October, Uber drivers in Glasgow instructed the BBC their wages had fallen in 2024, regardless of value will increase being handed on to prospects.

Then in January, putting drivers mentioned they have been working “too many hours” regardless of having households at residence.

“I haven’t yet come across an employee survey, including our own, where people don’t say that they want to earn more,” mentioned Mr Brem.

“I do understand that our main role in helping them more, though, is to is to keep the platform super busy, so our focus is on actually growth of demand,” he mentioned.

Mr Brem mentioned drivers may now see a weekly breakdown of how a lot cash they earned in comparison with how a lot of the fare Uber takes.

He added that, popping out of lockdowns, there was a interval of “unusually higher earnings” for drivers, as demand outstripped provide of accessible rides.

“We’re more in a sort of normal situation now, but that probably affects some of the experiences that [drivers] have had,” he says.

Uber has additionally highlighted the expertise of 1 mom of three who participated in its childcare pilot and mentioned it had been a “massive boost”.

Tania Naseer mentioned she used the childcare throughout work and likewise to exit with mates.

“As a mother, it’s important for me to have my own batteries charged in order to be there for my children,” she instructed BBC News.

“Now, I can hire a sitter for the weekend and then I can work the weekend, and they are the busiest hours.”

She added: “Ideally, yes, a pay rise would be great, but right now it seems to be working how it is.”

The childcare will likely be supplied by a babysitting and nannying app referred to as Bubble, which matches dad and mom with childminders.

Drivers can use the free hours at any time when they need, not simply when they’re working for Uber.

Mr Brem says he hopes drivers utilizing the childcare scheme will “recognise this is a valuable thing that they wish to carry on themselves” after they’ve used their free hours.