Deliveroo reacts to high court ruling, maintains riders are self-employed
See their full statement.
Deliveroo has issued a comment following the decision of Justice Simler to grant the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) permission for a judicial review of a decision that confirmed a group of riders were self-employed, as the company had said.
Reacting to the judicial review on “limited grounds” and “with some hesitation”, a Deliveroo spokesperson said:
‘Today’s decision has clearly upheld the central finding of the CAC, which is that Deliveroo riders are self-employed. This is good news for Deliveroo riders who value the ability to choose when and where to work.
The court has allowed a limited challenge on human rights grounds. Deliveroo has long argued that the self-employed should have access to greater protections, and we welcome any debate on how that can best be achieved.
‘The decision was reached having considered the recent judgment of the Supreme Court in the Pimlico Plumbers case, and emphatically rejects the union’s challenge based on this judgment.’
'A major disappointment'
The Independent's chief business commentator James Moore says the ruling represented "a major disappointment for those fighting for the rights of those working in the so called 'gig economy'."
"It differed from what has happened in similar cases in which judges have tended to rule in favour of workers when they have sought the status of employee rather than that of self-employed independent contractor," he said.
He continues to say that Deliveroo riders, Uber drivers, and many others in similar jobs should be considered employees and should be eligible for benefits such as holiday pay and the protection afforded by minimum wage laws.
"The Deliveroo Goliath is still standing. It will be able to call upon all the resources that big companies have at their disposal to argue its case when it gets to court," Moore added.
