”We must join the Union!” – Bolt and Uber Drivers Have Had Enough

Demonstrations A tall man in the middle of the crowd shouts, hands raised in the air: “We must join the union!” The crowd applauds and cheers. The group now shares a common goal: they want a decent livelihood, and the only way to achieve that is by organizing.

People are standing outside in the sunshine, wearing yellow high-visibility vests, talking and gesturing. — Fawad Khan (left, in light-colored trousers) was one of the organizers of the event. The union was represented by the 2nd Vice President of AKT Niko Blom (wearing a red beanie).

Text Mikko Nikula

Photographs Annika Rauhala

02.11.2026

Was that a scene from a black-and-white trade union propaganda film from the 1920s? No, it was straight out of a rally organized by Bolt and Uber drivers in the parking lot outside the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki on Thursday, October 22, 2026.

The drivers are fed up with how little they are left with after their work. While rides are significantly cheaper for the consumer compared to a traditional taxi, Bolt or Uber take up to 35 percent from that relatively low price. Because drivers are self-employed, i.e. they work as entrepreneurs, they are also responsible for paying their own advance income tax and the Statutory Pension Insurance (YEL). On top of that, they must cover vehicle insurance, maintenance, and fuel costs.

The tall man in the middle is Fawad Khan. He gathers the drivers together and, in a loud voice, starts explaining in English why it makes sense to join a union.

– We need someone to represent us. When we have a problem, we turn to the union. The union then contacts Uber and Bolt. A union is always stronger than an individual employee; it cannot simply be brushed aside.

A group of people is conversing outdoors in bright daylight; some are wearing yellow high-visibility vests. A tall, dark-haired man wearing glasses stands in a central position, gesturing with his hands as he speaks. — Fawad Khan (on the right, with arms outstretched) explained to the drivers why it is worth joining the trade union.

The Finnish Transport Workers’ Union AKT now accepts self-employed individuals as members

The rally was organized by the drivers themselves, and by early afternoon, well over a hundred cars had gathered at the Olympic Stadium. Participants had been reached via a WhatsApp group. The organizers included Khan, Hasanain Imran, and a few others. They had made necessary notifications to the authorities and prepared signs and leaflets.

Niko Blom, the Second Vice President of the Finnish Transport Workers’ Union AKT, arrived early in the event and ended up in a conversation with Imran.

Several people are standing and talking in a parking lot where many taxis are parked. — There were a couple of hundred drivers present.

– Could we join your union? Someone wrote on Facebook that since we are not employees, union membership is not an option for us, Imran said.

Blom explained that AKT had amended its rules in its representative congress in the summer, allowing self-employed individuals to become union members.

– You should definitely join. That way, you can become a strong, credible force in your dealings with Bolt and Uber. That would then open the doors for negotiations on working conditions.

The drivers were also unsure about which union was the right one for them. Many were aware that food couriers working for Wolt and Foodora had joined the Service Union United PAM. Blom assured that AKT is the right place for Bolt and Uber drivers.

– Choose a spokesperson from amongst yourselves. Then, we can plan the details together: whether you should establish a separate union branch or what would be the best way to move forward.

A person is holding a phone showing route directions in the Uber app for a 56-minute trip, priced at €23.37. — A ride from the center of Helsinki to the airport can cost as little as this, whereas the price range for a regular taxi is around 40–60 euros.

“We work like a dog” – but those with a family still can’t make ends meet

– Yesterday, I got a ride request from Kirkkonummi, ten kilometers away. The fare was just over ten euros, but I walked away with just 5 euros and 62 cents, says Alaudien Alkhalil.

A group standing next to him confirms that, especially during the day, the profit margin is next to nothing since the car is usually driven back empty from the drop-off point, and the driver has to cover the fuel costs.

– We are cheaper than the public transport, and customers have grown accustomed to these rock-bottom prices. If a ride costs a few euros more during rush hour or in the evening, customers complain that it’s a scam and that they don’t want to pay that much.

Ride requests reach drivers through Bolt’s and Uber’s apps. Declining a ride can have consequences as it lowers the percentage score assigned to the driver by the algorithm. Based on the score, companies rank their drivers.

– Bolt just blocked my account because I refused to accept a low-fare ride, says Mohammad Jazba. He shows his phone where the app screen displays the text: “62% – suspended.”

Two people are talking outdoors; one of them, Niko Blom, is wearing a red beanie, glasses, and a yellow high-visibility vest. — Mohammad Jazba (on the left) told Blom about the situation of the drivers.

According to the drivers, it is very easy to lose one’s job. Sometimes just getting negative feedback from one customer can be enough. Platform companies do not bother to check customers’ complaints; their operating principle is that the customer is always right and there is no shortage of drivers.

Reaching monthly earnings of even EUR 1,500 involves a lot of hard work.

– You can’t even spend time with your family since you work nonstop. We work like a dog. But you still have to pay for your children’s hobbies, says Sulayman Gassama.

– I don’t want money from Kela (the Social Insurance Institution); I want to work. But if I end up being unemployed, it comes at a high cost to society. The state needs to do something about this situation.

Will 3,000 drivers join the union?

The fundamental problem for drivers is the completely imbalanced power dynamic between them and the platform companies. For instance, the commission charged on a fare is determined by a unilateral decision from Uber or Bolt. The companies even take their share from the tips paid by customers.

– Bolt and Uber compete against each other, push down prices and exploit us. They know that because the drivers are of foreign background, they can be treated this way. Some tell us that ‘if you don’t like the job, go do something else.’ But there is nothing else available. Almost every job requires language skills and some form of formal education. Many of us are older and don’t speak Finnish well, says Rebwar Majed.

Ryhmä aikuisia seisoo ulkona aurinkoisella säällä Olympiastadionin. — Some of the drivers are Finnish citizens or dual citizens, while others are foreign nationals.

But now, things might finally get better. The rally that was organized at a short notice and the applause received by Fawad Khan testify that.

– There are about 3,000 Uber and Bolt drivers in Finland, and we have the contact information for over a thousand of them. In addition, we now have reached out to the AKT, says Khan.

In the platform economy, workers are disguised as entrepreneurs

In the platform economy, a company does not produce a service or product itself; instead, it provides a platform upon which others offer services.

Platform companies aim to minimize labour costs by claiming that the service providers who drive their business are independent entrepreneurs rather than employees in an employment relationship with the company. In this way, the companies avoid paying, for example, pension payments, which the service providers must pay themselves. The contractor’s risk falls on them. Concepts such as sick pay or paid vacation are non-existent.

In the corporate jargon, “entrepreneurs” sell their product to the platform company, and the price of the work between for instance Uber and an Uber driver is determined by the laws of supply and demand, much like any equal price negotiation between an entrepreneur and a client.

In Finland, food delivery companies Wolt and Foodora have used these same arguments. However, the Supreme Administrative Court ruled last year that food couriers are, indeed, employees in an employment relationship and not entrepreneurs. Similar court rulings have been made elsewhere in Europe. Since then, Foodora has ceased its operations in Finland. In September, PAM broke off collective agreement negotiations with Wolt in protest against the fact that Wolt has still not changed its practices and treated couriers as employees.

Translation: Tiina Sjelvgren