Uber drivers experience ‘false autonomy’ over work

According to academics, Uber drivers have a “false sense of autonomy” in their job.

According to a new study from UCD Michael Smurfit Business Graduate School, drivers are often promised complete autonomy over their jobs, yet billion-dollar companies use “opaque algorithms” that monitor, manage and discipline them.

Researchers Emma McDaid and Clinton Free of the University of Sydney Business School led the research that found the platform used by Uber drivers dictates the pay they receive, the tasks they are given, and their performance evaluation.

Many drivers who choose to work for Uber do so because they want more control over their schedules or flexibility. However, this can lead them to feel frustrated and undervalued as their autonomy is diminished.

Researchers said that this frustration was evident in online forums, where drivers shared tricks and solutions on how to “overpower algorithm” (the computer).

The research consisted of interviews with drivers and an analysis of online forums. The researchers found that talking about the challenges created a sense of “we”ness that led to greater solidarity among their employees.

They found that the stories of these drivers encouraged and justified their resistance strategies.

Some of these strategies include manipulating surge prices to maximize earnings by working during high-demand periods or “hacking”, the algorithmic control around trip destinations.

Researchers also suggested formal collective actions such as lobbying transportation authorities. Uber drivers won a Supreme Court case that ruled they were workers and not self-employed. They are therefore entitled to basic employment benefits such as paid holidays and rest breaks.

The academics discovered that online communities of drivers were driving worker resistance. Storytelling encouraged workers to join together.

Researchers found that there was a “serious gap” between what workers were promised and their actual work.

Professor Emma McDaid said, “These insights support the current analysis on labour-management relationships in settings where algorithms assess work and output, (within and outside the gig economy), but also provide a base to question an uncertain future, where generative AI is likely to add to the opacity and effects of algorithmic government.”

Twelve organisations, including the TUC, Amnesty International , and Deliveroo, Just Eat Takeaway, and Uber Eats , wrote an open letter in January to encourage them to be more transparent about how they manage their apps’ processes for managing couriers and payments.

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