Uber Gets Gig Gutted by UK Court, Riders Risk Rip Off?

While I love the convenience of using Uber & Lyft, I’ve never gotten my arms around the widely accepted argument “they are just apps or hi tech platforms” that allow independent contractors to provide cheaper taxi service. Practically speaking & after having used them in the U.S. & Europe, they’ve always seemed like a cheap & maybe not so legal way around the licensing & tax laws.

The U.K.’s highest court unanimously agreed with my alt take, at least, according to the WSJ’s “Uber Loses UK Court Battle Over Worker Rights.” The ruling is forcing Uber to compensate 25 of its former drivers in accord with the legal minimum wage & paid vacations. Uber replied by hanging its hat on the limited scope of the ruling and more litigation applied to more specific cases is likely. But, hey, the handwriting in the UK is on the app for the Uber crowd (& gig company cousins like DoorDash in rural as well as urban areas). Recent French & Dutch courts seemed to be leaning this way, too.

“This ruling will fundamentally reorder the gig economy and bring an end to rife exploitation of workers by means of algorithmic and contract trickery,” said a plaintiff who is now a union leader (Cambridge poli sci grad, too?). The other side warns of much higher consumer costs &, ironically, “job” lay offs. But, then, compare the higher cost of a Uber ride today versus a couple years ago…Somebody’s been making a pretty buck?

Davd Soul