(LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK) - Members of the Independent Drivers Guild (IDG), an International Association of Machinists (IAM) Affiliate that represents more than 80,000 For-Hire Vehicle Drivers in New York City, held a rally outside Uber’s headquarters in Long Island City last week to protest the company’s practice of locking New York City Drivers out of its App during low-demand periods, which the Drivers say is being used to avoid paying them idle time.

Wearing blue T-shirts and shouting “No more lockouts,” the angry protesters stood outside the Falchi Building on 47th Avenue where Uber is located as a long and loud motorcade drove around the block.

One sign directed at Uber read: “We Stand To Demand: The End Of Lockout Now!”

Muhammad Ali, 31, a Pakistani-American TLC Driver and IDG Member, usually drives customers to New York airports from Putnam County, where he lives.

Uber is supposed to pay Drivers about $28 per hour minimum for being on-line, per TLC rules, but now Uber chooses to lock them out when they fail to get rides in order to stop paying them, the Union said.

Ali used to get rides soon after making a drop-off at the airports, which made driving attractive.

However, soon after he drops passengers off, Uber automatically and forcefully locks him out if there is no demand, which means he is forced to drive back empty for another two hours or wait several hours until the App allows him to log in again.

“Out of twenty-four hours, we only have four hours to go on-line and work,” Ali said.

Read more in the LIC Post and follow the IDG here.