Uber's happy go lucky drivers never existed - it was exploitation from the start

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy This year is the 500th year anniversary of Thomas Moore’s utopia and in many ways 2016 could have been the year in which we achieved some sort of semblance of a shiny new society that would free us from our common enemy: work. Upon its creation, the gig economy found two expressions: those with capital used the services to their advantage, such as the 45 per cent of London Airbnb properties that are not really temporarily empty homes but full-time unregistered hotels; and those without access to large amounts of capital who find themselves with few employment opportunities and are forced to take up precarious gig work – and with it a lack of employment benefits should work dry up or illness strike. Many Uber drivers face difficult working conditions, take home less than the national minimum wage when the cost of running a car is taken into account, and, as a result, are forced to work longer hours without the ability to take paid holiday. The judges conclusion found that the balance of power was always in Uber’s favour – the company interviews and recruits drivers, sets the ‘Rider Terms’, logs off drivers who breach those requirements, fixes the fare and default route, imposes conditions on drivers, performance manages them through the rating system and handles all customer data and complaints.