A group of Uber drivers in SA will head to court to seek rights including compensation for unpaid overtime and holiday pay, their lawyers said on Tuesday, hoping for a similar victory to that of British drivers this month.
In both the UK and SA, Uber drivers are treated as self-employed, affording them only minimal protections in law, a status the US ride-hailing company sought to maintain in its long-running UK legal battle. That ended last week when Britain’s Supreme Court ruled that a group of 25 drivers were entitled to worker rights such as the minimum wage.
While Uber said the decision did not apply to all its 600,000 drivers in the country, it was a blow to the company’s business model and a significant victory in battles being fought on many fronts against the so-called gig economy.
While businesses say the gig economy offers flexibility for workers, trade unions among others say it is exploitative.
In November, Uber saw off a challenge in its home market of California when voters backed a ballot proposal that cemented app-based food delivery and ride-hail drivers’ status as independent contractors rather than employees.