Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat London Assembly Member, commenting on the ruling by a London employment tribunal that drivers for the ride-hailing app Uber should be classed as workers rather than self-employed, said:
“I welcome this ruling and congratulate the drivers and GMB for taking this important case.
“This is a real victory for drivers and hopefully ensure that basic conditions such as holiday pay and the payment of the national minimum wage are introduced across the whole industry.”
“This decision is also ultimately good news for the public. London needs a flourishing taxi and private hire trade but that will only exist if drivers are not exploited and forced to work excessive hours.
“The next step in protecting the public must be to ensure that there are proper checks to prevent drivers reading and interacting with text messages from apps when vehicles are moving.”