Posted on the 23rd December 2025 in PHTM News

UBER DRIVERS TOLD ACCEPT NEW TERMS OR BE BLOCKED

The App Drivers and Couriers’ Union (ADCU) has condemned Uber’s decision to force private hire drivers to accept deeply unfair new Terms and Conditions by 5 January or lose access to the platform.

Under the new agreement, due to apply from 2026, Uber drivers outside London will be required to accept a variable service fee ranging from 3% to 49%, creating huge uncertainty over pay and pushing many drivers’ earnings to unsustainable levels.

ADCU says Uber is exploiting a Supreme Court judgment that enabled a two-tier contract system.

In London, drivers are not treated as agents and contract directly with passengers. Elsewhere in the UK, drivers are classed as agents - allowing Uber to impose contracts with variable commission rates.

The union has consistently opposed the use of agency status and continues to challenge policies that undermine drivers’ pay and conditions.

Cristina Georgiana-Ioanitescu, President of ADCU, said: “This move will have a devastating impact on drivers’ ability to make a living. No one can earn a decent living with a commission that can jump to 49%.

“ADCU has long called for a 15% cap on commission so drivers can predict their earnings. This level of variation destroys that certainty and risks pushing drivers below the minimum wage once waiting time is taken into account - potentially breaching Uber’s obligations following Uber v Aslam.

“The Employment Rights Bill passed in December offered little protection for gig workers without worker status. Our members can be removed from the app at any time, leaving them especially vulnerable to coercive changes like this.”

ADCU is calling on Uber to withdraw the new terms and engage with drivers and their representatives to agree fair, transparent, and sustainable conditions.


Read another story