The 70,000 Uber drivers in the United Kingdom may be represented by a union, GMB, under a
"historic"
agreement
announced Wednesday which marks a further upheaval for the model of the American giant of the "gig economy".
Read also: To avoid wage employment, Uber offers a hybrid status to its drivers
This agreement comes two months after Uber recognized the status of salaried worker for its British drivers, with minimum wage and paid vacation, a world first for the car reservation platform, symbol of the economy on the job.
“Uber and GMB will join forces to improve flexible working standards across the industry,”
the group said in a statement.
“Through a collective bargaining agreement, the union will represent drivers across the UK. They will retain the freedom to choose if, when and where they drive (for Uber), and they will have the choice of being represented by GMB, ”
she added.
As part of their agreement, GMB and Uber will work together on topics such as national living wage guarantees and paid holidays, retirement plans, and other benefits in kind such as health coverage. or the safety of the drivers.
"While Uber and GMB do not seem obvious allies, we have always agreed that drivers are the priority,"
noted Jamie Heywood, one of Uber's European managers.
"This historic agreement means that Uber will be the first in the sector to also ensure full union representation for its drivers"
, who have also benefited since 2018 from free health insurance and parental leave allowances, he said. added.
Mick Rix, national manager of the GMB, which represents a total of 620,000 workers in the country, hoped that
"this major agreement" will
be emulated.
This
"could be a first step towards fairer working conditions for millions of people,"
he said, quoted in the statement.
"We call on all other operators (of the 'gig economy') to do the same,"
he added.
Hybrid Status
In recent months, targeted in particular by legal proceedings, Uber has initiated a major change in attitude towards its drivers. In March, he announced to recognize his 70,000 drivers in the United Kingdom the hybrid status of salaried workers, with minimum wage and paid vacation, whereas they were previously considered self-employed, well protected. The platform acted quickly after a resounding defeat before the Supreme Court, which ruled in February that the drivers could be considered
"workers"
and therefore benefit from social rights.
British law distinguishes the status of self-employed or independent worker from that of worker, who may receive the minimum wage and other benefits, and from that of employees, who enjoy benefits. '' a formal employment contract.
Uber's decision in March to grant more rights to its drivers was hailed as a step in the right direction by unions and the government in the UK, the only country so far the group has agreed. gesture.
Read also: Uber drivers requalified as employees in London
In Europe, he wants to replicate what it has proposed in California, namely independent drivers but who receive compensation. This measure, however, increased the pressure on other digital platforms that thrive on the economy of
"odd jobs"
, such as the food delivery platform Deliveroo. The latter had a difficult start at the end of March on the London Stock Exchange, investors having been cooled by the controversies over the remuneration of its delivery men, whose treatment is disputed in court in several countries.