Uber drivers are employees not contractors, says UK Supreme Court

Decision will impact global gig economy

Uber drivers must be treated as employees rather than self-employed independent contractors, says the UK’s Supreme Court.

The ruling paves the way for thousands of Uber drivers in the country to earn minimum wage and holiday pay. This important decision will have larger consequences for the gig economy across the globe.

The decision is consistent with what courts and tribunals have found throughout the world, namely that Uber has acted illegally by misclassifying its drivers.

Uber should spend more time trying to figure out how it can comply with laws, and less time fighting to deprive employees of their legal rights.

We believe that the UK Supreme Court’s decision is the correct result and believe that the same employment law protections should be afforded to Canadian Uber drivers.

Class-action lawsuit against Uber in Ontario

Samfiru Tumarkin LLP continues to forge ahead with its class-action lawsuit against Uber, where we seek to have drivers in Ontario classified as employees. In June 2020, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in our favour, declaring that the lawsuit on behalf of drivers must be heard in the province. Uber had argued that arbitration in the Netherlands was the appropriate location to dispute the employment status of its drivers.