Is anybody there? An examination of the voice experiences of Uber ride-share drivers

Abstract

This chapter examines how worker voice is experienced by ride-share drivers, drawing on a study conducted of Uber drivers in Australia. Ride-share drivers face a variety of barriers and constraints that limit their opportunities and ability to voice to their intermediary platform. This includes the legal classification of ride-share drivers, the trade-offs ride-share drivers make for working under such flexible working arrangements, and the algorithmic control inherent with working for a platform organisation. In many cases, these barriers and constraints are actually the basis of the content or issues that the ride-share drivers wish to voice about. The chapter examines both the scholarly and grey literature that has previously identified some of these factors and issues associated with voice and ride-share drivers and then examines the experience of ride-share drivers voicing to the Uber platform in Australian. The chapter looks at how Uber drivers engage in direct voice to the organisation, which includes the ways the ride-share drivers are involved in upward problem-solving and able to contribute to managerial decision making, as well as the ways in which they are able to make complaints about fair treatment and articulate their concerns. However, given the difficulties Uber drivers face when attempting to voice directly with the platform intermediary, it becomes clear that in the absence of utilising direct voice, the ride-share drivers seek out alternative ways to voice, including peer-to-peer voice. The chapter concludes with a discussion of recent developments at Uber that signal the potential for improved opportunities for drivers across different countries to voice to the platform organisation.