Deliveroo fends off union bid to represent workers in Camden in win for gig economy
Deliveroo has fended off a challenge by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) to represent its workers in Camden after the High Court rejected its push against the gig economy.
The IWGB applied for a judicial review on an earlier decision that ruled that Deliveroo drivers should be classified as self-employed. As a result of the decision by the Central Arbitration Committee, Deliveroo drivers were told they would not receive the collective bargaining rights they had sought to fight for better working conditions.
The union was seeking to represent Deliveroo drivers in Camden in an attempt to grant them rights such as the minimum wage, but has been ordered by the court to pay £10,000 towards Deliveroo’s costs.
Deliveroo said the verdict was a “boost” for riders who had chosen flexibility.
Read more: Union eyes legal challenge over Deliveroo “workers”
Managing Director for Deliveroo in the UK and Ireland Dan Warne said: “This decision is a victory for riders who have overwhelmingly told us the flexibility to choose when they work, and where they want, that comes with self employment is their number one reason for riding with Deliveroo.
“We have led the debate in seeking to offer riders more security – whilst protecting the flexibility they value. The IWGB want to remove the flexibility riders want but Deliveroo is committed to defending that.
“We continue to make the case to the government that we should end the trade off in Britain between flexibility and security.”
The IWGB said: “The riders’ self-employed status is not in dispute in this litigation. The IWGB accepts they are self-employed, we are just arguing that they are Limb B workers, which is a type of self-employed person. With regard to Limb B workers, there is no trade off between flexibility and employment rights; Limb B workers almost invariably have both.”
“The IWGB will be renewing its application for permission as we vehemently disagree with the Judge’s reasoning in this case.”
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