Grab PHL official denies lawmaker’s allegations of “modern-day slavery” vs the firm

“No one is being forced to drive long hours,” Cu says

(Eagle News) — Grab Philippines on Friday, June 8, denied it was forcing its drivers to work as “slaves” for profit, and lashed out at PBA Rep. Jericho Nograles, who made the accusations.

In a statement, Grab Philippines’ head Brian Cu said the company’s “major pillar in its strategy” was the “welfare” of its drivers, noting that  “no one among Grab partners is being forced to drive long hours.”

“We don’t know what the motivation of Congressman Nograles is but we remain confused about who he is fighting for,” Cu said.

He noted that Cu’s previous allegations that Grab Philippines imposes a P2 per minute extra travel charge on passengers “actually caused drivers’ income to drop drastically.”

He added that many drivers also stopped driving.

With the charge, which he said was allowed under the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board’s Department Order 2015-011, Cu said  “Grab managed fares to ensure proper driver income and fair fares for passengers.”

“Grab’s commission is given back to the drivers in the form of incentives to supplement their income and to reward passengers with better service,” Cu said.

“At first prices were too high, now they’re too low. Can he make up his mind? Throughout the past months he certainly has not been a constructive force in helping both drivers and the riding public,” Cu added.

He urged Nograles to “enjoin all (Transport Network Companies), “which all have LTFRB-approved per minute fare component in their fare structures, to forego their commissions as he suggests,” in the “spirit of fairness.”

In a statement, Nograles had said Grab was “incentivizing modern-day slavery.”

“While Grab executives like Brian Cu are splurging on things like joining a P35-million per share golf country club, their driver-partners hardly earn enough to be able to afford three square meals a day and keep up with the amortization cost of their vehicles,” Nograles said.