[cypherpunks01]

This is really curious, in that it appears to be a normal strike for higher wages, except it's being coordinated on an hourly basis for just a few minutes until the company agrees to pay more!

Contractors can decide when and how they want to work, and therefore determine the price at which to sell their labor at, so to me it seems they are simply exercising their rights here. Like others have mentioned, if most drivers don't choose to participate, then this "scheme" wouldn't function.

[rosege]

Not 100% sure I'd call it a strike but its just the free market working quickly. I have a feeling though this will spread around the world and be adapted by drivers in many other countries. I've traveled a bit in South America and Uber drivers there really do earn barely anything - I dont know how they afford the gas - e.g. 1/2 hour trip for $3-$4.

[laken]

I've also traveled in South America and relied on Uber heavily. I talked with a few drivers, and they all found Uber to actually be worth it. For example, Colombia's minimum wage when converted to 40hrs/wk/month comes out to ~$1.50/hr. It's not a bad gig there, and the cost of living is relatively low. The bigger problem is the danger of driving for Uber, as taxistas are not a fan of Uber drivers.