Uber leaves drivers ‘£18,000 Out Of Pocket’ as it fights legal judgment
Uber has left its drivers £18,000 out of pocket over the last two years as it continues to fight an Employment Tribunal judgment that its drivers are "workers", not "independent contractors", and therefore eligible for basic rights like the minimum wage and holiday pay.
This is according to GMB, which brought the successful case against the so-called gig employer in October 2016.
When the landmark victory was won, the judges ruled that Uber’s argument that all drivers are separate businesses was a “pure fiction”, but the company applied to appeal the decision.
Last year, it lost in the Employment Appeal Tribunal, forcing it to take the fight to the next level of the justice system. Tomorrow, the case will be heard again at the Court of Appeal.
“While the company are wasting money losing appeal after appeal, their drivers are up to £18,000 out of pocket for the last two years alone,” the union’s Legal Director, Sue Harris, said.
“That’s thousands of drivers struggling to pay their rent, or feed their families,” she continued. “It’s time Uber admits defeat and pays up.”
Leigh Day, the solicitors representing drivers on behalf of GMB estimate that the average driver has lost £10,750 in wages and £8,150 in holiday pay since 2016.
