Uber to appeal UK ruling on drivers' employment rights

Uber kicks off another appeal to the UK landmark employment rights case on Tuesday.

Uber aims to change the ruling at the two-day hearing at the Supreme Court that previously said employees should be classified as workers.

The legal battle began back in 2016 when an employment tribunal ruled in favour of a group of Uber drivers led by Yaseen Aslam and James Farrar who requested employment protections such as minimum wage and holiday pay.

If Uber loses again it could jeopardize its business model and will not be able to classify its drivers as self-employed.

“The vast majority of drivers want to work independently, and over a number of years we’ve made significant changes to our app to offer more benefits with total flexibility,” said Jamie Heywood, Uber’s regional general manager for Northern and Eastern Europe.

“Drivers can determine if, when and where they drive, but can also access free AXA insurance to cover sickness or injury, as well as maternity and paternity payments.”

The case could also have significant ramifications for the gig economy and for other companies such as Deliveroo and Airbnb if Uber loses.