Another whammy for Uber: the Californian ride sharing app, challenged by courts around the world, loses another battle and right in its home state. This time the taxi drivers have nothing to do with it: it is a former driver himself who has rebelled against the company, which did not recognize his employee status, insisting on the concept of self-employed.
California's public employment agency agreed with the ex-driver, and that's just the last case. In fact, as is well known, Uber, by not recognizing the status of employees to its drivers, also denies them various protections: from social security contributions to sickness, etc.
Just a few days ago a judge authorized three drivers to bring a class action to have their rights recognized: if it goes through, this procedure will benefit all those who have worked for Uber since 2009, the year of its foundation in San Francisco . We are talking about 160 thousand people, to whom the app created by Travis Kalanick should acknowledge all arrears.
Uber wants to oppose this action but the precedents do not turn in its favor: already in March a sentence by a California Court had established that the company had to treat its drivers as ordinary wage earners. Uber defended itself by arguing that drivers don't have working hours. "It's true - the judges replied - but then why does the company deactivate the app for drivers if they do not work for 180 days".
