Supreme Court of The uk Decided that the drivers Uber Should be Workers’ rights and only independent contractors should not be consideredThis decision could be a major setback for the company’s business model.
In a lawsuit filed by two drivers, a London labor court ruled in 2016 that the company had significant control over them and therefore should not be considered self-employed. The company appealed and In 2018, Justice confirmed labor bond between Uber and drivers in UK.
On appeal, the Supreme Court Upheld the decision and determined that a group of drivers are entitled to labor rights, such as the minimum wage at UberAccording to Reuters. Decisions can establish jurisprudence and influence other digital platforms.
Uber said the decision does not apply to all of the UK’s current 60,000 drivers, which is one of its most important markets worldwide nor to the deliverymen of its food delivery arm Uber Eats.
“We respect the court’s decision in 2016 focused on a small number of drivers who used the Uber app,” said Jamie Heywood, the company’s manager in the Northern and Eastern Europe region.
In a statement on their blog, the company Said decision classifies drivers as “workers” rather than “employees”, Which would be a separate category in law.
Uber further claimed that some elements of its service described in the test no longer apply, including fines for drivers who refuse multiple trips to the UK.
“We are committed to doing more and now we are going to consult with all active drivers in the UK to understand the changes they want to see,” Heywood said.
Uber drivers are currently considered self-employed, which means, by law, they have minimal protection.
The dispute will return to a special court, which will decide how much the 25 drivers who filed suit in 2016 will have to pay to the company. Lawyers representing the workers’ group say that compensation can reach 12 thousand pounds (R $) at present value (91, 1,000).
Till the Supreme Court’s decision comes, about 1,000 such complaints against the suspended company can continue.
Uber faces similar processes in the United States and even Brazil.
