Uber Takes Steps to Appease U.K. Drivers After Losing Pay Suit

Uber Technologies is adding options for drivers in the U.K., tweaking its app as the latest compromise aimed at appeasing chauffeurs in Europe, amid lawsuits and protests, according to Bloomberg.

The application will start letting drivers cash their income anytime, instead of the end of the week, and will offer advice on improving per-hour revenue, Uber’s general manager for the U.K., Jo Bertram, said in a blog post. Uber’s drivers in the country will also be able to find customers going roughly the same route they’re planning -- towards their home at the end of a shift for example.

“Over the last year we’ve listened to thousands of drivers across the U.K.,“ Bertram said in an e-mailed statement. “We’re really pleased to announce some new initiatives today and we’ll be setting out more in the coming months.“

After years of battling regulators across Europe, Uber is turning its attention to backlash from chauffeurs. The company lost a lawsuit in the U.K. last year over drivers’ pay and vacation time -- a first for the company from a London tribunal. It’s been drafting a driver support scheme catered to France to sway local unions threatening to protest in touristy Paris.

In the U.K., Uber will also offer online courses for drivers and discounts on pension investments over the Internet, as part of the measures unveiled Thursday. The platform will also let drivers appeal some decisions, like being kicked off the app, to a panel of other chauffeurs, and said it had updated guidelines to enable also banning riders from Uber if needed.