In the Netherlands, a judge ruled that from now on Uber must treat its drivers as employees and not as self-employed. This means that the company has to pay the 4,000 drivers it employs in the Netherlands according to the collective taxi agreement.
It is an important victory for the FNV trade union. He’s been wrangling over the status of Uber drivers for some time now. As a result, they earn less than their colleagues in the taxi sector and hardly have any rights. This way, employers evade taxes and Social Security contributions.
Uber asserted that it is just a platform where passengers and drivers meet, but the judge disagrees. The fact that drivers must agree to terms set by Uber in order to be allowed onto the platform means they are entering into an agreement. “The legal relationship between Uber and these drivers meets all the characteristics of the employment contract,” the ruling reads.
Disappointed
Moritz Schönefeld, Uber’s Northern Europe manager, says he is disappointed with the ruling. “Because we know that the vast majority of drivers want to remain independent. Drivers don’t want to give up the freedom to choose if, where, when and with whom to work. In the drivers’ best interest, we are appealing the judge’s ruling.”
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