Deliveroo riders take legal steps to gain union recognition

A group of Deliveroo riders in the UK are seeking legal action to be recognised as employees, not contractors.

Deliveroo, which provides a delivery service on behalf of thousands of restaurants across the country, classes its riders as self-employed "independent contractors", meaning they are not entitled to workers' rights including paid holiday and the right to the minimum wage.

The call follows the latest Uber ruling, which saw two of its workers classified as employees after arguing that they should be entitled to rights such as paid leave. 

If the Deliveroo couriers win the case, it could see a huge shift in the business models deployed in the so-called gig economy.