Taxi firm Uber has missed a ‘golden opportunity’ to start complying with the law, the union GMB has said.
The union, which last year won a groundbreaking employment rights legal case on behalf of Uber drivers, said it was disappointed with the ‘cosmetic’ changes introduced for Uber drivers.
The tribunal ruled that Uber drivers are employed workers entitled to receive holiday pay, a guaranteed minimum wage and an entitlement to breaks. However the initiatives announced by the company this month instead centre around financial advice, English lessons and updated community guidelines to inform drivers what is expected of them.
Maria Ludkin, GMB’s legal director, said: “GMB note that Uber have come up with a package of cosmetic measures which they claim address drivers’ concerns. The measures do not address the concerns of the hundreds of drivers contacting GMB who are focused on getting basic workers’ rights.”
She added: “Uber missed a golden opportunity to start complying with the law. They continue to ignore the decision of the courts that drivers are employed workers with rights to receive holiday pay, a guaranteed minimum wage and an entitlement to breaks. Free English lessons and updated community guidelines are not going to address the issue of paying workers below the minimum wage.”
