Uber begins appeal over Employment Tribunal ruling

The Uber appeal is underway, as the taxi app fights the landmark ruling that its drivers must be given basic workers’ rights.

In October 2016, drivers James Farrar and Yaseen Aslam won a major case, at an employment tribunal, which found that they should be classed as workers.

This meant that the drivers – and potentially many others in the gig-economy – would be entitled to the minimum wage, sick pay and paid holiday.

But the taxi-hailing app has today begun a two-day appeal against the ruling – only days after TfL stripped it of its licence to operate in London. However, this is a separate case to any other ongoing case – including with other companies in the gig economy – it is argued.

 

Background

Previously, the company claimed it was a platform not an employer. However, it may now claim it is no different to any other mini-cab company, with self-employed drivers.

The tribunal ruled the idea its 30,000 drivers could be linked by a common platform was “faintly ridiculous”.

But Uber insists its drivers like the freedom of being their own boss.

Comments

Please do add your thoughts and initial reactions in the comments section below the piece.

 

For live tweets on the case, see #uberappeal and follow @DazNewman Rachel Farr @rarfarr and Mark Greaves @mark_greaves1 and Ben Amunwa @benamunwa

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2 thoughts on “Uber begins appeal over Employment Tribunal ruling”

  1. Rachel Farr, senior lawyer in the employment, pensions and mobility group at Taylor Wessing, says:
    “Unlike the original Uber decision and the cycle courier gig economy cases, the result of the Uber appeal will be binding on employment tribunals.
    “Uber has done a U-turn – at the employment tribunal, the firm argued that they were not a taxi company, but an app putting customers in touch with drivers. Now Uber says that they are no different from a traditional mini-cab firm with self-employed drivers. However, Addison Lee lost a case earlier this week when the employment tribunal held that its drivers were in fact workers as well.”

    Reply

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