, Columnist
Uber's $69 Billion Dilemma
Ride-sharing app should just bite the bullet on employing drivers, even if it carries a heavy cost.
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Uber Technologies Inc. did something out of character in France recently. It sat down to negotiate with drivers over work and pay conditions.
That's sort of how an employer would act, right? But as Uber has said in courtrooms around the world, the ride-hailing app doesn't employ drivers. They're all self-employed, responsible for paying their own car, gas and insurance expenses and working whenever they want. Uber doesn't pay labor taxes or make social security contributions, nor does it give sick leave or ensure a minimum wage. All it does is collect a 20-30 percent commission for connecting driver to passenger.