Brazil's Labor Public Prosecutor's Office has filed a public civil action against Uber in Salvador, demanding R$ 321 million in collective moral damages over a program that charges fees to drivers.
The legal action, submitted to the 9th Labor Court of Salvador in the northeastern state of Bahia, targets Uber's "Passe para Motoristas" system. Under the program, drivers must pay a fee to accept ride requests through the ride-hailing app.
Along with the R$ 321 million fine for collective moral harm, prosecutors are asking the court to order the immediate suspension of the program and require Uber to refund all money paid by drivers under the fee structure.
The Labor Public Prosecutor's Office, known locally as the MPT, is Brazil's independent authority tasked with protecting collective labor rights and enforcing employment regulations. Uber, headquartered in California, is the dominant ride-sharing platform in Brazil, where millions of gig workers rely on its application for daily income.
Debt bondage concerns
According to the MPT, the driver pass model improperly transfers operational business risks onto individual workers, as paying the required fee provides no guarantee of receiving a minimum number of rides. Prosecutors warned that the fee system creates severe economic dependency on the platform.
The lawsuit asserts that in certain situations, the practice can give rise to conditions analogous to slavery through debt bondage. Prosecutors also criticized contractual terms that allow Uber to alter program rules unilaterally, noting that upfront charges suppress competition by discouraging drivers from taking trips on rival mobile applications.
Algorithm inspection demand
In a significant procedural request, the MPT has asked the Salvador labor court to grant prosecutors access to Uber's algorithmic source code. Labor authorities want to inspect the proprietary software to evaluate how the company manages ride distribution, pricing mechanisms, and driver fee calculations.
Uber did not respond to inquiries from financial news outlet CNN Money concerning the lawsuit, though the publication stated that its request for comment remains open.
