Shaik Salauddin, president of the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union, said Uber should take responsibility for its drivers.
The statement was issued after Uber driver Syed Lateefuddin was allegedly assaulted by six men and forced to chant “Jai Shree Ram”. The two men chased the cab driver on their bikes before dragging him out of the vehicle and beating him. The car was also damaged by four other men using rocks.
Lateefuddin repeatedly tried calling Uber’s emergency number after the incident but did not receive a response. After that, he called the police to file a complaint. The culprits, who have since been remanded in custody, were apprehended within 24 hours.
According to local residents who witnessed the incident, similar attacks on drivers had occurred multiple times in the same neighborhood.
After the encounter, Lateefuddin received treatment at a hospital for minor injuries. While his car and the means of his livelihood have been severely damaged and will require several days and Rs. 1-1.5 lakhs to repair.
A few people started hitting the windows of Syed Latifuddin’s car on September 4 as he was driving from Shaikpet via the Alkapur road to pick up a customer.
TGPWU has proposed a number of demands to help Lateefuddin, including compensation of Rs 1200 for each day his car is out of service. Medical costs as well as repair costs.
Furthermore, the organization demands that Uber revamp its emergency infrastructure for drivers’ safety, and announces the firm’s commitments to drivers regarding emergency response times.
The union also demanded that mechanisms be established to protect drivers from disadvantaged groups (e.g., women, religious minorities, sexual and gender minorities, etc.) from the threats they commonly face while working for Uber and that Uber publicly announce its commitments in this regard.
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