Uber carries on fight against drivers’ claims

Beleagured taxi app Uber is facing another legal fight on Wednesday as it appeals against a key ruling that its 40,000 drivers are entitled to the national minimum wage, holiday pay and sick pay.

Uber, which was stripped of its licence to operate in London last week, lost a landmark ruling brought by the GMB on behalf of two former drivers, James Farrar and Yaseen Aslam, last October when an employment court decided they were workers rather than self-employed contractors.

The original ruling accused Uber of “resorting... to fictions, twisted language and even brand new terminology” and treated the firm with “a degree of scepticism”.

Uber won leave to appeal in April, with a two-day hearing beginning at the Employment Appeal Tribunal.

Paul Jennings and Rachel Mathieson, the lawyers at Bates Wells Braithwaite representing the drivers, stated: “Just last week TfL expressed concern regarding Uber quoting ‘potential public safety and security implications’. The case advanced on behalf of the drivers, raises equally important issues concerning health and safety.”

An Uber spokesman said: “Almost all taxi and private-hire drivers have been self employed for decades before our app existed. With Uber, drivers have more control… The overwhelming majority of drivers say they want to keep the freedom of being their own boss.”