Several Uber drivers in the country went on a strike after they were urged to sign a contract with third-party car-ownership company Moove, which did not have a drive-to-own agreement.

Around 100 Uber drivers went on a two-day strike this week in Johannesburg, and claimed that if they don't sign the new contract with Moove, they fear their vehicles will be taken away, News24 reported.

Currently, the drivers use Uber's platform to connect with passengers and lease vehicles from Moove, but as per the new contract, they won't be able to get a drive-to-own agreement.

Jabulani Ngcobo, who worked as an Uber driver and was now on strike, said that he has been working with the American company for almost eight months and had already signed a drive-to-own (DTO) contract with Moove, which would eventually make him the owner of the vehicle after four years, considering he was paying a weekly rent of R2 300 to the latter as per the current contract.

However, the new contract reportedly states that the DTO agreement has been canceled.

Ngcobo revealed when he confronted the company about the DTO agreement, Moove said that he shouldn't worry about it as the basic purpose of the new contract was to make drivers aware of another important clause--the Protection of Personal Information Act.

"They have changed our contract from being a drive-to-own driver to merely being a fleet driver," Ngcobo said on Thursday, News24 reported. "If you insist you cannot sign this contract because of this termination of DTO and you walk away from them, they keep on calling you and eventually they disconnect the car from the Uber app."

He added, "Then you have to come in to see them (Moove) at their offices, where you are forced to sign this new contract, irrespective of how it is written and if you don't sign it they take the car."

Ngcobo added they have received a response from Moove and all drivers are deliberating it. However, most of the drivers are planning to continue the strike.

Another Uber driver named Lucas Sodi, who was paying R2 300 per week to Moove, said he was working with the company because of DTO so that he could own a vehicle after four years.

Sodi said, "They have now come back and they've changed the contract and the contract now is saying you signed the contract, the car is not going to belong to you anymore. And if you make a mistake they will take the car and you will have to leave."

He explained that if drivers are falling short of R50 out of R2 300 weekly rental, then Moove disconnects the Uber app from their vehicles.

"This happens without them even calling you to find out what is happening. And if you are sick, you have to go to work," Sodi added. "They don't care, not matter what your issue is. All the time, they just want money. They just want money."

Head of communications for Uber South Africa, Mpho Sebelebele said that they were engaging with Moove in order to find a workable solution for the drivers.

Moove said several meetings were held with the customers regarding the misunderstanding about the DTO contracts.

"Moove is focused on formalizing the mobility economy by providing a means for mobility entrepreneurs to earn a sustainable income. We are always willing to engage with customers. Through our Drive-to-Own (DTO) programme, Moove has created thousands of jobs and we are fully committed to our customers and SA. We will continue to work hard for our customers and listen to their needs and concerns," the company said.

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AFP