CNN — Thousands of drivers for ride hailing services and food delivery riders in the United States and United Kingdom are planning to strike on Valentine’s Day in disputes over pay and working conditions.
In America, campaign group Justice for App Workers said in a blog post last week that drivers for Uber and Lyft, as well as riders for DoorDash, were “sick of working 80 hours/week just to make ends meet.”
The group, which says it represents 130,000 drivers and delivery workers across the East Coast and Midwest, wrote that its members planned to stop giving rides to and from all airports in 10 cities, including Chicago and Miami, for two hours on Wednesday.
“Join Justice for App Workers from 11am-1pm on Wednesday, February 14, as we demand changes from Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, and all the app companies profiting off of our hard work!” the campaign group added, without providing details on strike action by DoorDash workers.
For years, workers in the gig economy, who typically work for digital platforms as contractors and so have fewer protections than they would as employees, have agitated for better pay and working conditions, with some success.
In the UK, a spokesperson for campaign group Delivery Job UK said Tuesday that more than 3,000 food delivery riders were expected to strike for five hours on Wednesday.
Riders participating in the strike are primarily Portuguese-speaking and work across multiple platforms, including Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Just Eat. Riders have seen their income drop in recent years as the companies have cut the delivery fees they charge customers, the spokesperson said.
“Our request is simple: We want fair compensation for the work we do. We are tired of being exploited,” the UK group said in an Instagram post Sunday.
“Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love, but it should not overshadow our struggle,” it added.
CNN has contacted Uber for comment.