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Uber announces pension plans for drivers; pressures rivals over worker status Mark Bursa Uber has announced it will roll out its pension plan to all eligible UK drivers. The move is another outcome of the March 2021 Supreme Court ruling that it must reclassify its 70,000-plus drivers in Britain as workers. Uber has previously offered guaranteed holiday pay and minimum wage rights – though only when the drivers are actually carrying out jobs, not while waiting for work. Uber has also recognised the GMB Union as its drivers’ representative body. Uber said it would contribute 3% of a driver’s earnings – the minimum required under UK employment law – into a pension plan, while drivers can choose to contribute a minimum of 5% of their qualifying earnings. The payments will be back-dated to May 1 2017, or from the date of the first job a driver carried out if they joined the company after that date, the company said. Uber also urged ride-hailing rivals
such as Bolt, Free Now and Ola – as well as major private hire fleets such as Addison Lee – to offer similar benefits to their drivers. Uber head of north and east European operations Jamie Heywood (pictured) said: “I am extending an invitation to work with operators such as Bolt, Addison Lee and Ola to create a
cross-industry pension scheme. This will enable all drivers to save for their futures whilst working across multiple platforms,” The GMB Union echoed Heywod’s call, with national officer Mick Rix adding: “Uber’s pension scheme is a massive step in the right direction and will no doubt help thousands of drivers as
Osprey Charging to invest £75 million in 150 electric vehicle rapid charge hubs Osprey Charging has announced a £75 million plan to open 150 high-powered electric vehicle charging hubs across the UK over the next four years. The rollout is a major boost to the UK’s public EV charging infrastructure and will support drivers with EV charging ahead of the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles. Each hub will host up to 12 rapid chargers with a max power of 150-175kW, totalling 1,500 chargers nationwide. The hubs will be conveniently located on A-roads and motorways, and will be capable of adding 100 miles of range in as little as 10 minutes. Construction is already underway at four sites and Osprey’s first hub will open next month in Wolverhampton on the A4123 near the M6. Construction will commence on the first 10 hubs before the end of the year. Each hub will be located
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near food and drink amenities for drivers to use while they charge their car. Osprey’s first four hubs already under construction are next to well-known and popular retailers, including Costa Coffee, Lidl, Aldi, Pizza Hut, KFC and Currys PC World. Osprey Charging will use Kempower’s ground-breaking charger optimisation technology to enable more locations to host rapid chargers on a single site. Kempower charging technology allows every vehicle to charge at its maximum rate throughout its entire charging cycle, without impacting other vehicles. The technology optimises grid connections, meaning more chargers can be installed
they reach retirement age. GMB urges other platform-based operators to follow Uber’s lead.” In May, Uber set aside $600m to cover the cost of retrospective pay claims from drivers. The UK Pensions Regulator (TPR) said it noted the “positive steps” taken by Uber and called on all gig economy employers to enrol eligible staff in pension schemes. “The gig economy is set to grow further as the UK emerges from the pandemic and businesses recover and it is only right that all workers contributing to the economy receive the pensions they are entitled to,” a TPR spokesperson told Reuters news agency. Uber drivers will be auto-enrolled in a pension scheme provided by NOW: Pensions and managed by workplace solutions provider Adecco, the company added. Patrick Luthi, chief executive officer of NOW: Pensions, said: “This is a landmark step forward for this sector and we pledge our support to develop a cross-industry pension scheme.”
per site than traditional chargers, without a need for more power. Ian Johnston, CEO of Osprey Charging, said: “The EV market is booming, with sales up over 117% year-on-year and EV adoption continuing to grow exponentially. In less than nine years’ time, buying a new petrol or diesel car will be impossible, so it’s crucial that public charging infrastructure stays ahead of the curve. Through this rollout we will make charging anxiety a thing of the past.” All Osprey chargers are compatible with every rapid charging EV on the market today and do not require a membership or subscription to initiate charging – drivers can simply tap their contactless bank card or smart phone. The first 10 locations are as follows: u Banbury, M40 u Birmingham, M6 u Suffolk, A14 u Croydon, A23 u Essex, A127 u Crewe, A534 u Glasgow, M8 u Brackley, A43 u East Lothian, A1 u Wolverhampton, A4123 —Mark Bursa
OCTOBER 2021
