The introduction of the new Flemish taxi decree and on top of that the COVID-19 crisis meant that the taxi sector was already on the ropes. Uber can now knock out the taxi sector from Flanders. Recently, Flemish Prime Minister Jan Jambon called for solidarity with the Flemish companies and to buy from them or to use their services, apparently this does not apply to the taxi sector.
In a press release from the BTB-ABVV, the organization writes that it is the final deathblow for the Flemish taxi sector. They represent all employees from the maritime sectors, dock workers, workers in air handling, in freight and passenger transport and in logistics. Earlier today, Uber announced in a press release that it will start operating in Flanders on 9 November.
“From that day on, thanks to the Flemish taxi decree of former Flemish minister of mobility Ben Weyts (NV-A), Uber will now also have the opportunity to destroy the taxi sector in Flanders.” BTB-ABVV.
chronicle of a death foretold
Already in February 2015 BTB rang the bell with the file “The truth about Uber”. In it, the dark side of Uber is made clear. In the spring of 2015, BTB itself filed a complaint against Uber against Uber with the labor auditor. Over the years, BTB has continued to respond to Uber's malpractices. Unfortunately, at the end of 2019 we had to conclude that our arguments on the Flemish side have fallen to deaf ears. After all, the Flemish Taxi Decree rolled out the red carpet for Uber & co and thus also for social dumping in the taxi sector. All benefits for the platforms, all burdens for the drivers.
UBER is destroying the taxi industry worldwide!
Due to its aggressive pricing policy, the BTB-ABVV everywhere disrupted the taxi market. Real taxi drivers, self-employed and salaried workers are the victims of this. Customers will also notice, once there is a monopoly, prices for a ride go up. And the UBER driver gets an increasingly smaller share of the cake, because a profit has to be made. UBER drivers have to work many hours, and all the risks are on them.
who made Uber so great?
The fact that Uber has become so big is of course due to the fact that many taxi drivers wanted to work for Uber en masse and abandoned their existing employers or exchanges for the so-called 'better' working conditions. In the Netherlands, drivers in the major cities also started working for Uber with all the consequences afterwards. Many politicians continue to fully support the Uber lobby and the Uber platform economy as part of MaaS, Mobility as a Service.
Also read: Taxi sector cannot claim the inconvenience premium
