Urban Company faces backlash as beautician partners protest ID card blockade

A group of beautician partners staged a protest against Urban Company, raising concerns over the purported permanent blocking of their ID cards by the company. The protestors claimed that they are being blocked out of the platform due to issues such as booking cancellations, taking off from work for two to three days, and a fall in response rating.

This isn't the first time that Urban Company is in the midst of a disagreement with the workers on its platform on its policies. In fact, a larger protest played out in late 2021 when female workers raised issues around safety and working conditions. At the time, the company launched a programme to improve partner ratings and positively impact their livelihoods.

The company in a statement to CNBC-TV18 said, "We had recently asked a few partners, who were not meeting the marketplace standards despite multiple prior notices and re-trainings, to part ways with the marketplace. We continue to maintain an open-door policy and encourage dialogue with our partners. We remain committed to building a safe, high-quality home services platform."