Uber has agreed to pay its UK drivers a wage minimum, holiday pay and contribute to a pension fund, complying at last with court decisions at every level up to the Supreme Court, ending several years of dispute marked by occasional threats to its operating licenses.
The case originated when two drivers, who had organized a union among their fellow drivers, went to an employment tribunal arguing that they were employees, not true free-lancers. The courts have ruled that they come under a classification that makes them ‘Designated Workers,’ a bit different from employees, but entitled to many of the same benefits.
During the struggle, and with parallel protests by taxi drivers over unfair competition, city regulators twice withheld renewals of Uber’s license, citing security violations among others. It seems likely that is now in the past.
The App Drivers and Couriers Union says it is pleased that there is an agreement, but say it leaves too much discretion in the company’s hands to determine the basis from which the wages are calculated, and leaves them with too much time on the job but off the meter.
