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Ola, Uber taxis go on strike in Kerala

  • Over 7, 000 drivers will keep off the road 
  •  Companies had recently cut down the incentives to drivers
  • Drivers have raised 18 demand including uniform wage structure
Ola Uber taxis go on strike in Kerala

Close on heels with the protests in Karnataka, the drivers associated with online taxi services in the state have launched a 24-hour token strike as a mark of protest against the companies for their 'anti-employee' policies. Over 7, 000 drivers will keep off the road from Sunday to Monday midnight. 
 

The drivers have launched the strike in the wake of taxi companies, Uber and Ola, refusing to accept the demands put forth by driver's union. The drivers had made 18 demands including, uniform wage structure, limiting vehicle request ratio to 1: 20, setting up customer care facility in Malayalam, recognising drivers as employees, halting registration of new taxis, etc. 
 

"We are striking against the exploitation by companies. Earlier, we used to get ₹500 towards incentive for every ₹1, 000 we earned. Now, they have cut it down to ₹100. With more drivers being registered every day, we fail to get more trips. There is more supply than demand," All Kerala Online Taxi Drivers Union general secretary Shajo Jose said. 
 

"Often drivers buy a car by taking loans, and with reduced incentives and number of trips getting fewer we find it difficult to pay back the loan," he said. 
 

The association has also asked companies to calculate trip fare from the service accepting point and not from where customer boarding point, to introduce uniform fare system and to consider trips more than 20 km as two trips. 
 

The drivers also allege that the companies are controlling trips in favour of newly added drivers and service providers must stop controlling trips. They also said that over 15, 000 vehicles are registered with online taxi service providers in the state. 
 

The union is planning to intensify protest if the service providers continue to ignore their demands. 

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