A wildcat strike of Uber and Bolt ride hail drivers was described by the organiser, a content creator and driver, as the largest ever in Poland.
Serhii Mykhailiuk, a Ukrainian migrant who is the creator of the popular TikTok channel ‘Beer Not Allowed’, claimed that about 10,000 drivers took action across the country in May 2025, despite the wildcat action having no official union backing.
The striking drivers demanded that Uber and Bolt reduce the commission they take on every trip, with drivers regularly having to work 12 hour days to make enough money to get by.
“For 10 kilometers, I earned 30 złoty. Now it’s 18 złoty, maximum 20 złoty,” Mykhailiuk said. “That’s a 30 percent reduction. On top of that, the cost of living is constantly rising: utilities, rent, food. And our salaries are also falling.”
Bolt takes a 30% commission on each trip but has been lowering fares for customers, which in effect amounts to a pay cut for drivers. Since 2024, Uber has moved to a dynamic pricing system of pay in Poland, with no set rate of pay for drivers, with Mykhailiuk stating that on some trips Uber would take as much as a 50% commission.
Krzysztof Stanowski, a presidential candidate in Poland, criticised Mykhailiuk and the other striking drivers, telling them to get another job if they are unhappy, a comment which led to a furious response from drivers and their supporters.
“Should everyone change jobs?” Mykhailiuk responded. “100,000 drivers? And who will drive you to work then?”
Many of Poland’s Bolt and Uber driver workforce are migrants like Mykhailiuk, and in 2024 Poland introduced a new law known as ‘Lex Uber’ which made it more difficult for migrants to work as drivers in the country, in a change ostensibly made for the benefit of passenger safety.