Uber, stop the algorithm that manipulates us – For true independence for VTC drivers in the canton of Vaud!
We, VTC drivers in the canton of Vaud, are fed up with being manipulated by Uber!
We’re supposed to be independent, but we’re not at all. Uber’s algorithm distributes the rides so that we all earn around CHF 4,200 per month, but only if we stay connected 58 hours a week! We tested this with 7 drivers parked together for two months, the algorithm would only offer trips to 2 or 3 of us with a “I’m interested” button, and the first to click gets the ride.
So, we’re completely dependent on this algorithm that controls our income and forces us to stay online as long as possible just so Uber can have as many drivers available as possible and offer constant coverage to customers. It creates the illusion that “the more I stay connected, the more I earn,” but in reality, we have no freedom we’re totally controlled by the algorithm.
And that’s not all the rides we get through the app are not recognized by SUVA, the commercial police, or insurance companies. It’s written in black and white in their documents and in the official license for professional passenger transport. In short, legally, we are uninsured illegal workers when we drive using the Uber app!
We demand that Uber:
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Change this algorithm so we have real freedom over our income and schedules, without being manipulated by a system that forces us to stay connected just to earn the bare minimum.
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Ensure that all drivers in the area and from the category chosen by the customer are consulted, not just selected by the algorithm.
This will then allow us to ask SUVA to reconsider its position and recognize us as truly independent workers — because it will be the drivers who genuinely choose when and which trips they want to take.
We want to work freely, without being manipulated by an algorithm and without risking fines because of a system that traps us!
Uber, change your practices now!