Uber loses landmark tribunal case over UK driver rights

Uber has lost a key legal battle after a London tribunal upheld a ruling that drivers must be classed as ‘workers’, entitled to the minimum wage and holiday pay.

In a landmark decision that could have ramifications for labour rights in the UK’s growing gig economy, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) ruling voted against drivers being classified as self-employed – The Guardian reports.

Last year, drivers James Farrar and Yaseen Aslam, won an employment tribunal case after arguing that they should be classified as “workers” with rights such as minimum wage and holiday pay, with backing by the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB).

However, Uber has challenged the ruling saying it could deprive drivers of the “personal flexibility they value”.