UBER and Lyft sought to undermine strike action by drivers across the United States yesterday by offering incentives to both customers and drivers amid growing anger over the companies’ practices.

Thousands of drivers logged out of the ride-hailing apps in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Washington, Atlanta, Chicago, San Diego, Boston, Philadelphia and Seattle with users encouraged to support a boycott,

Uber drivers are demanding more protection and rights as the company’s executives were hoping to rake in billions as it went public today with it expected to be listed at $91.5 billion (about £70.4bn) when the valuation of the shares was announced.

In San Francisco, drivers are demanding a living wage, transparency in decision-making, employee benefits and a voice in company decisions.

As well as Uber and Lyft offering customer discounts, according to drivers, the Uber app was sending them messages offering extra money for trips they made during the strike period.

An Uber statement said: “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.”

However, workers report a drop in wages at a time the company is making bumper profits. The Independent Drivers Guild of New York organised a “caravan” across Brooklyn Bridge in protest.

Unions spokesman Brian Sexton said in New York: “Drivers built these billion-dollar companies and it is just plain wrong that so many continued to be paid poverty wages while Silicon Valley investors get rich off their labour. All drivers deserve fair pay.”