British judge: "Deliveroo riders are not employees"

According to a British appeals court, Deliveroo meal delivery riders in the UK are independent contractors, not employees. But with that, the discussion about gig workers’ rights is not quite over.

Earnings model

The ruling is important for Deliveroo, because the employment status of the riders has been under discussion for some time. Moreover, the earnings model of the meal delivery company relies heavily on the couriers’ self-employed status. The share price on the London stock exchange went sharply higher as a result.

In recent years, there have already been various court cases in the United Kingdom concerning this matter. Deliveroo drew the longer straw every time. At the beginning of this year, the matter ended up before an appeal court, but that court also ruled in favour of the meal delivery company yesterday.

Not over

Yet this is not the end of the matter. Competitor Uber Eats recently lost a similar case, writes Reuters. The court decided that the British Uber drivers must be treated as ‘workers’, which means that they are entitled to a minimum wage and paid holidays.

In addition, legal cases against Deliveroo are also pending in other European countries. In the Netherlands, a judge ruled earlier that the meal delivery riders are employees and not self-employed. The European Commission will also publish recommendations on the issue later this year. So it looks like the employment status of the couriers will haunt Deliveroo for quite some time.