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Published 22:09 IST, December 20th 2023

Uber to raise minimum wage for drivers in France

Workforce behind the wheels will earn a minimum income 9 euros ($9.85) per trip, up from 7.65 euros.

Reported by: Business Desk
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Uber to launch bus service for office-goers in Kolkata
This wage hike, if calculated in terms of Indian currency, comes up to an extra Rs 7,000 per trip | Image: Uber
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Uber Technologies is all set to raise the minimum wage it dolls out to drivers in France as part of a wider agreement between ride-hailing companies and driver representatives in the country, the company said on Wednesday. The gig workers will be ensured to earn a minimum income 9 euros ($9.85) per trip, up from 7.65 euros they were earning previously, and will have a guaranteed income of 30 euros per hour and 1 euro per kilometer.

The changes in hourly income guarantee and minimum wage per kilometer will be implemented by May next year, while the wage increase in revenue per trip will be in effect from February.

Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday that ride-hailing apps Bolt and Free Now have also similarly raised their minimum wage.

The European Union earlier this month, provisionally agreed on a bill aimed at giving employee benefits to workers at app-based platforms such as Uber and Deliveroo.

The app-based ‘gig workers’ are usually treated as “independent contractors” but not as company employees, which leads to general minimum wage laws not applying to this workforce.

The proposed bill on 'gig workers' rights, that has to be formally adopted by the European Parliament and the Council, will prevent workers from being wrongfully classified as self-employed, which results in them "missing out on important labour and social protection rights," the European Parliament had said.

"The package of guarantees on which we have just agreed proves the strength of sectoral social dialogue in France," said Yves Weisselberger, president of FFTPR, which represent ride-hailing platforms.

A New York state appeals court had earlier this month upheld the minimum wage law for app-based delivery workers in New York City, which would require companies to pay them $17.96 an hour, and rising to nearly $20 in April 2025.  ($1 = 0.9134 euros) 

(With Reuters inputs) 

Updated 22:12 IST, December 20th 2023