Battling bike couriers head for November tribunal

Bicycle couriers will begin their tribunal fight for employment rights in November and are determined not to settle the case, campaigners told the Evening Standard.

Four workers have launched the claim against four courier companies, CitySprint, Excel, Addison Lee and eCourier, backed by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain.

The quartet, Maggie Dewhurst, Chris Gascoigne, Demille Flanore and Andrew Boxer, are classified as independent contractors, denying them rights such as an automatic entitlement to the national living wage and holiday pay.

Dewhurst’s claim against Citysprint will be heard first at Holborn’s London Central tribunal beginning on November 22. The other three cases will subsequently be heard by the same judge.

IWGB president Jason Moyer-Lee said: “They might try to settle but we want a judgement on this.”

The case comes against a backdrop of concern over the “gig economy” where companies like Uber are facing legal actions over the employment status of their workforce.