Workers for Lyft and Uber protested this week across the country demanding better pay, improved working conditions, and legal protections. There were 11 strikes coordinated across the country ranging from Los Angeles to Boston. The strikes were coordinated by Rideshare Drivers United.
Application-based companies such as Uber and Lyft spent $220 million in support of Proposition 22 in California which classified drivers as independent contractors rather than employees. This was a highly favorable outcome for the corporate executives and shareholders as there are more legal protections and benefits afforded to employees.
The strike comes as these companies have reduced rates for drivers and reduced transparency. Unsurprisingly, with the support of bourgeois government ride-sharing companies have had success in increasing the exploitation of workers under the guise of promoting freedom and flexibility for workers. In actuality, these companies are only aimed at maximizing their profits and the accompanying exploitation of labor. The implementation of the “gig-economy” is simply a way to exploit the labor of the most vulnerable workers for profit. It is necessary for the working class to organize against the capitalists by fully understanding Marxist-Leninist principles and ending the systematic oppression that occurs under capitalism.
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