It has now been a week since the new pricing structure was implemented under the promise that driver pay would be better for the driver and higher than before. As many of us suspected, driver pay is effectively less than before. If you made the same money this week as you did the week before, the reality is that because of the new lower rates and the scrapping of credit card payments, to make the same money you made previously you need to work harder and longer hours.

Holiday pay should be paid on top of driver earnings. With regards to this and the pension scheme, when taking a better look at the figures for the new rate system it appears to suggest that the money being deducted from credit card jobs and through the new rates is offset back to the driver as holiday pay and Addison Lee’s 3% contribution towards our pension. In simpler terms; we are funding our own holiday pay and Addison Lee’s pension contribution back to us. This is very misleading as this new holiday pay has been advertised to us as being an additional source of income. In actual fact, the money deducted from us through credit card and cash payments works out on average to be much more than we receive back in holiday pay, meaning as a driver we are worse off financially.

With regards to the new rates, headline figures of 8-10% increases in executive account fares mask the reality of the new prices - a 10% increase on a £20 is an increase of just £2. Compared to the 50% decrease in pay for credit card bookings, we are in fact worse off. Additionally, Addison Lee failed to mention that for off peak work, standard rates actually have gone down from £6.50 to £6.25. To break this down into simper terms - a £90 credit card booking from Heathrow to W1 would previously pay you £72. Under the new rate you would receive £33-£36. Comparatively, an account booking from Heathrow to W1 would previously pay £31-33, under the new rate you would receive £33-£36. The same applies for standard credit card work. Given that on any given week credit card jobs make up anywhere between 30% and 60% of our total jobs, driver pay is severely compromised by this new pricing and accounts rate system.

The new points system is meant to be the bridge between the lower credit card rates and driver pay. Unfortunately again, this is misleading. Whilst we do accumulate points for all jobs now, the removal of the 25 points for good service in the portal and the increase in the bands at which rental discounts are achieved mean yet again, we are having to work longer and harder for the same discounts we would have been receiving before.

As much as Addison Lee has worked towards helping the drivers during this pandemic, it is important to note that it is us, the drivers, who have navigated Addison Lee through this tough period by risking our health and the health of those around us to continue working and helping to keep Addison Lee servicing their customers around the UK. This new system sadly does not reflect the appreciation Addison Lee claims to have had for their drivers who selflessly worked to keep the company going through the past 18 months. We have a voice and the power to influence change and if we don’t speak up, we are accepting less pay for more work.

If you are uncomfortable with signing your name on the petition, feel free to sign as “A. Driver