The UK’s Supreme Court has today upheld a judgment (.PDF) that says Uber drivers in the UK are entitled to the legal rights and protections afforded to employees. Lord Leggatt said that workers who were logging in to the Uber app had entered into a contract with the company to “perform driving services for Uber London,” rather than the riders themselves.
Leggatt also said that essentially, ” since Uber sets the fare, imposes the contract terms, and exerts significant control over the service, it was acting as an employer.” The court also discovered that while the drivers could choose when they worked, the rest of the process was in the hands of Uber. Uber contended that its drivers are, broadly speaking, only working when they are driving a passenger, which the court disagreed with.
In British law, there are specific rules to determine the working time, in order to ensure that employees have the right to breaks and rest periods. It found that the way Uber communicates to its drivers suggests that, as soon as the app is activated, they need to be ready to accept a ride.
The case will now be returned to the Employment Tribunal, which will determine how much compensation drivers are owed. Given Uber’s cordial ties with Britain’s (ruling) Conservative party, we can expect lobbying for a similar law to intensify on that side of the pond.
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