Idiot subs at The Observer

After Uber’s U-turn, ministers must stop giving gig economy bosses an easy ride
Phillip Inman
It’s a step forward that Uber drivers must now be treated as employees, but there’s still a long road to travel

No, they do not have to be treated as employees.

And so it is with a slow handclap that we welcome the decision last week of the American corporation’s UK division to accept that the 70,000 drivers on its books qualify as workers, with rights to a minimum hourly wage and holiday pay, in line with a supreme court ruling last month.

There are three statuses – statii, statae, statiu? – in English employment law, employee, worker and self-employed.

12 thoughts on “Idiot subs at The Observer”

  1. What’s the timetable for every Guardian article writer becoming a paid employee, complete with pension, sick pay, holidays etc?

  2. “in English employment law, employee, worker and self-employed.”

    Foisted on us by the EU.

    From a tax perspective, a ‘worker’ is still self-employed.

  3. ‘Foisted on us by the EU.’

    I keep on finding yet more reasons why you wanted (and still want) to leave.

  4. @Clovis Sangrail
    No. We speak English, not archaic forrin’. We pluralise with S or ES in special cases.

  5. AndrewC: from a literate usage of English perspective, all three are workers. They work, they expend energy to accomplishe a task, they are workers.

    I too look forward to getting full pension and holiday rights from the NHS. Oops, my contract ends in 10 days….

    Samething happened last year. Contract ended 14 days before paid furlough started.

  6. I can’t wait for the whole dial a ride industry to collapse and we can return the halcyon days of black cabs, mini can firms and high fares, lack of flexibility, unreliability and barriers to entry

    It will make the middle classes so happy, they seem to have plenty of money to waste

  7. @BiS and dearieme.
    Fair enough. Statuses is good enough for me. But I was trying to help out the boss who seemed to be having a small fit.

  8. When does Uber roll out the new business model where their relationship is with the vehicle and the vehicle operator is an appurtenance.

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