Labour’s call to enforce the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on
Uber has been ignored by the Government’s Business Minister.
used an Urgent Question in the House of Commons
to call on the Government to back Labour’s call to enforce the
Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on Uber and to enshrine in law
the principles of the ruling, meaning that other Uber drivers and
workers across the gig economy will have to go through the courts
to win the basic rights to which they are entitled, including the
holiday pay, paid rest breaks and the national minimum wage.
,
Minister for Small Business, Consumers and Labour Markets,
refused to back the proposals.
, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for
Employment Rights and Protections, said:
“Uber and other employers should not be allowed to ignore this
ruling and dodge their responsibilities. Millions of people in
the gig economy are in fragile and insecure work with one-sided
flexibility, which is bad for those workers, bad for the economy,
and, as we’ve seen from this pandemic, a disaster for public
health.
“The Government cannot abrogate its responsibility by telling
workers to fight for their basic protection through the courts.
They must enforce the ruling of the Supreme Court and legislate
to ban exploitative practices like bogus self-employment to bring
protection and security to all workers.”
Ends
Notes to editors
- In the Urgent Question, asked the Government Minister the following
questions:
Will the Minister take this opportunity to make clear that this
judgment applies to all Uber drivers and that the company cannot
continue to cheat its drivers out of their basic rights?
Will the Minister confirm that the principles of the judgement in
the Uber case must apply not only to all Uber drivers, but to all
those on similar arrangements across the gig economy?
Will the Minister commit now, to legislate to end bogus
self-employment and provide security to all gig economy workers?
- The Minister for London and Parliamentary Under Secretary of
State (Minister for Small Business, Consumers and Labour
Markets), ,
failed to answer any questions, stating: "We are committed to
continue to look at workers and workers' rights, and also make
sure we can have a careful consideration of all of the
questions in the round about the various workers statuses and
various workers’ rights, whilst keeping flexibility in our
employment market."
- On Friday 19 February, the Supreme Court ruled that Uber
drivers are workers not self-employed - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56123668
- Uber claims that the scope of the ruling is so narrow as to
only apply to a minority of its workforce, saying “a small number
of drivers from 2016 can be classified as workers, but this
judgment does not apply to drivers who earn on the app today.”
The company disputes how many the ruling should apply to, meaning
around 40,000 drivers are likely to go to employment tribunals if
the company does not apply the ruling to all drivers.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/feb/22/uber-accused-of-trying-to-deter-drivers-from-seeking-compensation
