Drivers for the ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft are planning strikes this week in several cities as the controversy around the two companies' massive initial public offerings heat up.

Advocates say Uber's IPO, expected this week, highlights the poor working standards and pay structure that the company has in place for drivers.

Among the demands listed in an announcement for New York City drivers are increased job security, livable incomes, and capping the companies' commission to guarantee that 80% to 85% of the proceeds from a ride go to the driver.

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Drivers for the ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft are planning strikes in cities across the US over working conditions and payment as Uber gears up for its initial public offering this week.

On Wednesday, drivers in New York are planning to strike between 7 and 9 a.m., joining others in Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, the New York Taxi Workers Alliance announced.

Rideshare Drivers United, which represents Uber and Lyft drivers, said drivers would log out of their apps all day on Wednesday in cities including Los Angeles, where Uber recently cut the per-mile rate of drivers to $0.60 from $0.80. Uber drivers in San Francisco plan to log out from noon to midnight.

The NYTWA said the drivers' demands included job security, livable incomes, and capping the companies' commission to guarantee that 80% to 85% of the proceeds from a ride go to the driver.

The Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said that so-called take rates, or the company's commission from fares, would be a major point of tension going forward for Uber and Lyft. Ives said that after Uber last month filed the paperwork for its IPO, investors noted that Uber's take rate was surprisingly low, at about 22%, up from previous years but below its expected 30-something range.

"Uber's rideshare take rate increased from 20.5% in 2017 to 21.7% in 2018; we're expecting a minor increase in 2019 to 22.3% but overall expect limited upside to take rates," Ives said in a Monday release.

The executive director of the NYTWA, Bhairavi Desai, said other details in Uber's IPO plans ignited drivers to push back against what they see as unfair work terms and conditions geared toward benefiting the company's owners.

"Wall Street investors are telling Uber and Lyft to cut down on driver income, stop incentives, and go faster to driverless cars," Desai said in the press release. "Uber and Lyft wrote in their S1 filings that they think they pay drivers too much already. With the IPO, Uber's corporate owners are set to make billions, all while drivers are left in poverty and go bankrupt."

Uber said in its S1 filing that it would be damaged if drivers were listed as employees instead of independent contractors, which would impose requirements on minimum wage, overtime, and healthcare, among other benefits. The S1 filing for Lyft, which went public in March, also described drivers' employment status as a significant threat to its business.

Supporters of the independent-contractor model say it gives drivers more freedom in deciding when and how they work, but labor advocates say it blocks drivers from fundamental workers' rights.

Uber late last month set an initial price range of $44 to $50 for each share in its IPO, setting its value as high as $91 billion. Both Uber and Lyft offer programs that would afford some drivers cash bonuses to buy shares.

Full-time Uber employees are offered equity as part of their compensation packages, but drivers, as independent contractors, are not.

Sonam Lama, who has driven for Uber since 2015, said in the NYTWA's release that pay cuts and so many cars on the road diminished drivers' opportunities.

"I'm striking for my kid's future. I have a 5-year-old son, and I drive for Uber to support him. But it's becoming harder and harder," Lama said, adding: "Uber executives are getting rich off of our work; they should treat us with respect. We are striking to send a message that drivers will keep rising up."

An Uber representative told Business Insider that drivers are at the heart of the company and that it would work to secure a variety of benefits for them.

"Drivers are at the heart of our service ─ we can't succeed without them ─ and thousands of people come into work at Uber every day focused on how to make their experience better, on and off the road," the representative said. "Whether it's more consistent earnings, stronger insurance protections or fully-funded four-year degrees for drivers or their families, we'll continue working to improve the experience for and with drivers."

Read more: A Texas congressman drove for Uber during a legislative recess. Here's what he learned.

During its IPO roadshow in March, Lyft had to move its San Francisco meeting to a private club amid protests planned outside the original venue.

In its Nasdaq debut, Lyft rose to a valuation just over $29 billion. It was the first ride-hailing company to go public.

The IPO was just the beginning of more than 100 tech unicorns, startups valued at $1 billion or more, that are set to go public in 2019.

Graham Rapier contributed reporting.