London: American multinational online transportation network
company Uber is facing a legal challenge from drivers who say that they
should be legally recognized officially as workers at the company, as calls
grow for new rights for the UK’s burgeoning army of self-employed individuals.
In a tribunal hearing described as “the case of the year in
UK employment law”, lawyers working for a group of Uber drivers will argue that
the terms and conditions of their work with the company mean that they are not
technically self-employed and should be entitled to a range of benefits that
they currently do not receive.
The case, which begins on Wednesday, underlines the growth of
the so-called “gig economy”, where companies use self-employed workers rather
than keeping people on their books.
The case against Uber is being taken by 19 drivers, with two
test cases starting on 20 July. The ride-hailing app has about 30,000 drivers
in London, all of whom are designated as self-employed.
Annie Powell, a solicitor at law firm Leigh Day who will
represent the drivers, said the case hinged on two things: the nature of Uber’s
business and the control it had over drivers. “Uber is arguing that it is a
technology company and that it does not provide a transport service to
customers, it just puts them in touch with drivers,” she said. Uber, which has
its European headquarters in the Netherlands, was seeking to argue that drivers
in the UK can only seek a remedy in the Dutch courts, Powell said.
Jo Bertram, the regional general manager for Uber UK, said
more than 30,000 drivers in London used the app “and this case only involves a
very small number”. “The main reason people choose to partner with Uber is so
they can become their own boss, pick their own hours and work completely
flexibly. Many partner-drivers have left other lines of work and chosen to
partner with Uber for this very reason.”
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