DRIVERS for Uber and Bolt are calling for a 24-hour passenger boycott this Valentine’s Day, campaigning over exploitative pay, unfair dismissal, and safety risks.

The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) is urging the boycott for Saturday February 14, arguing that low pay and a lack of protections are leaving drivers struggling.

Drivers must cover all vehicle costs from fares set by dynamic pricing algorithms, which the union says companies can lower without scrutiny.

IWGB private hire drivers branch chairman Nader Awaad said: “The UK’s private hire industry is a wild west.

“With no protection from unfair dismissal, drivers see their entire livelihoods go up in smoke, in the blink of an eye, for no reason.

“With no real safety measures we are left completely unprotected from passenger violence, frequently resulting in serious injuries, or, in the tragic case of our member Gabriel Bringye, death.”

Mr Awaad described a £82 cut from a recent £111 fare he had as unjustified, saying: “That’s nearly 75 per cent of the money, not for providing the car, not for covering the fuel, not for insurance, not for vehicle maintenance — just to be on the app.

“The government says it’s improving employment rights. Why are they ignoring gig economy workers like me?

“We are facing some of the worst working conditions in the UK. Yet we have been completely abandoned.

“It’s time for drivers and riders to come together and use our collective power to demand change.”

The union is also demanding protection from unfair dismissal.

IWGB president Alex Marshall accused gig economy companies of using “legislation loopholes” to strip their workforce of rights and “bring back Dickensian levels of exploitation.”

Uber and Bolt were approached for comment.