Uber drivers in the UK will now be entitled to holiday pay, paid rests and the national minimum wage.
The decision, made by an employment tribunal in London today, ruled the drivers signed on to Uber’s platform were to be considered workers as opposed to self-employed.
The ride-sharing giant had previously argued that its drivers, or ‘partners’, were self-employed contractors, not employees.
This landmark ruling could potentially affect thousands of others working in similar roles across the gig-economy.
The case
The case, brought forward a year ago, was presented by two Uber drivers, who claimed that the company was acting unlawfully by denying them the basic employment rights typically offered to workers.
“Tens of thousands of people in London drive with Uber precisely because they want to be self-employed and their own boss. The overwhelming majority of drivers who use the Uber app want to keep the freedom and flexibility of being able to drive when and where they want. While the decision of this preliminary hearing only affects two people we will be appealing it,” said Jo Bertram, regional general manager of Uber in the UK....