New York City visitors needed to decelerate throughout rush hour the morning of December 19, 2022, as Independent Drivers Guild, IDG, drivers, lots of whom are of Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin,  shaped a ‘Caravan’ throughout the Brooklyn Bridge to protest Uber’s lawsuit blocking driver pay raises on the day they had been to take impact.

The Independent Drivers Guild has a membership of round 80,000 ride-share drivers in NYC alone, and greater than 250,000 within the larger Tristate space.

“Nine out of ten members are immigrants. Many thousands of these members are of South Asian descent,” spokesperson Moira Muntz instructed Desi Talk. Three of the highest 5 countries-of-origin represented within the membership are South Asian – together with Bangladesh, Pakistan and India, Muntz mentioned.

– ADVERTISEMENT –

Calling Uber “the Grinch who stole Christmas” New York City Uber drivers lined up on the bridge in frigid temperatures Monday morning to point out their opposition to a New York State Supreme Court decide’s new choice to grant Uber’s request to quickly halt important pay raises that Uber has sued to roadblock.

The drivers, members of the Independent Drivers Guild, caravanned over the Brooklyn Bridge and into Manhattan to circle the New York Courthouses at 60 Centre Street and Foley Square, the place they held a rally on the courthouse steps demanding that Uber pay their elevate.  The caravan of automobiles displayed flags, indicators, and posters to point out their displeasure.

The IDG, the nation’s largest rideshare advocacy group and a Machinists Union affiliate, mentioned in a press launch that they’d fought for years for this pay improve.

Uber sued the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission to  block the driving force pay will increase, which drivers mentioned had been “a necessary adjustment to ensure drivers are paid no less than the equivalent of New York City’s minimum wage after expenses.”

“Uber is the grinch who stole Christmas for tens of thousands of New York City families and today drivers showed up in force to send a clear signal to Uber. We are not going to take this!” the IDG Organizing Director Aziz Bah, is quoted saying within the press launch.

“Today drivers showed up in force to send a clear signal to Uber. We are not going to take this!! Uber blocking our raise right before the holidays is a slap in the face. This raise covers what we already deserve to cover our working expenses and inflation,” mentioned Independent Drivers Guild member Malik Anwaar of Pakistani descent who has pushed for Uber in New York City for greater than 5 years. “By blocking this raise, Uber is advocating to pay drivers less than minimum wage. It’s offensive and wrong.”