United Kingdom: Court of Appeal rules that Deliveroo riders are self-employed

The judgment from the UK Court of Appeal came after the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) demanded that collective wage negotiations be held for around a dozen Deliveroo riders in London, which is a right normally reserved for “workers”. On 24 June the appeals court said that riders for the food delivery application were self-employed and were therefore not entitled to this right. The decision runs contrary to recent court rulings on the so-called gig economy, most notably the UK Supreme Court’s ruling in February that Uber drivers are “workers” (see article n°12369).