UK Uber drivers begin legal action over pay and benefitsUber drivers have begun legal proceedings against the company to be classed as employees and earn related benefits.
The first formal UK legal proceedings against the San Francisco based company were issued at the London Central Employment Tribunal on behalf of British drivers.
Four claims were brought by law firm Leigh Day on behalf of the GMB union, regarding basic workers' rights.
These include an apparent failure by Uber to pay drivers a minimum wage and not provide any form of holiday pay.
They also claim Uber frequently deducts sums from drivers' pay without informing drivers in advance.
However, an Uber spokesman told WSB that it believed drivers were happy with the current working relationship.
Earlier this year, Uber unveiled a driver benefits programme centred around auto perks and lifestyle.
The case is the first one to be brought in the UK, but follows several brought in in the US.
According to law firm Leigh Day, a successful legal action against Uber could see substantial pay outs for drivers, including compensation for past failures by the company to make appropriate payments to what lawyers argue are their workers.
Leigh Day lawyer Nigel Mackay who is representing the drivers said: "We believe Uber owes the same responsibilities towards its drivers as any other company does to its workers. Uber drivers should not be denied the right to minimum wage and paid leave.
"They should be protected from detrimental treatment if they raise serious concerns about unlawful activity. They should be able to work without fear of discrimination.
"Uber exerts significant amounts of control over its drivers in order to provide a particular offering to the public, which it sees as differentiating itself from other taxi services. If it wishes to operate in this way, and to reap the substantial benefits, then it must acknowledge its responsibilities towards those drivers as workers," he added.
An Uber spokesman said: "The main reason thousands of professional drivers choose to partner with Uber is so they can become their own boss, pick their own hours and work completely flexibly.
"In fact many partner-drivers have left other lines of work and chosen to partner with Uber for this very reason.
"Two thirds of new partner-drivers joining the Uber platform have been referred by another partner because they love the freedom and flexibility the service provides," he added.
However, GMB branch secretary Steve ******** contested this opinion. "Uber has now forced a contract on drivers who are no longer partners but customers and are failing to cap driver intake further eroding the facility to earn a reasonable income," he said.
"Drivers have little interaction with management whose preference is to respond on a message based ticket system.
"This shows disdain for the drivers. GMB hopes more drivers will approach us for this remarkable action."
source:
http://www.wsandb.co.uk/wsb/news/243369 ... d-benefits
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