[IER] Dismay at Supreme Court ruling that Deliveroo riders are "not employees"

Fri Nov 24 15:32:08 GMT 2023

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Dismay at Supreme Court ruling that Deliveroo riders are not employees

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Deliveroo delivery riders are not employees, the Supreme Court (the UK’s highest court) has ruled.

In an eagerly anticipated judgement, the Supreme Court has said people working for Deliveroo couldn’t be considered employees because they don’t have specified hours, can work for rival companies, and can appoint someone to work in their place.

Judge Vivien Rose said Deliveroo riders did not have an “employment relationship” with the food courier company and were not entitled to compulsory collective bargaining.

Lady Rose, along with Lord Lloyd-Jones, said multiple factors, including riders being free to decline offers of work and to work for Deliveroo’s competitors, were “fundamentally inconsistent” with such a relationship.

The Supreme Court decision was met with dismay by trade union organisers and employment law experts alike.  

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/supreme-court-ruling-deliveroo-riders-are-not-employees/> More details 

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IWGB statement on the Supreme Court’s ruling on Deliveroo riders’ bargaining rights

"As a union we cannot accept that thousands of riders should be working without key protections like the right to collective bargaining, and we will continue to make that case using all avenues available to us, including considering our options under international law." 

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/iwgb-statement-on-the-supreme-courts-ruling-on-deliveroo-riders-bargaining-rights/> More details 

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P&O and Freedom of Association: Memo to Starmer

A Labour govt would be wise to implement new recommendations from the ILO that would protect trade unionists and their right to bargain collectively, writes Professsor Keith Ewing. 

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/comments/po-and-freedom-of-association-memo-to-starmer/> Read here 

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P&O Cruises and Cunard threaten to fire and rehire more than 900 UK staff

Cruise firms could dismiss crew unless they accept salary cuts and flexible working arrangements 

 <https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/nov/23/po-cruises-and-cunard-prepares-to-fire-and-rehire-more-than-900-uk-staff> More details 

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Working for Climate Justice report published

A report produced with the support of UCU, BFAWU, PCS, the Barry Amiel & Norman Melburn Trust and QMUL UCU branch, now available for download.

Read this superb report by Ben Crawford and David Whyte

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/working-for-climate-justice/> Download and read here 

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Working for Climate Justice: New report urges trade unions to lead carbon transition

The transition away from a carbon-based economy depends upon the ability of workers and their organisations to take collective action to challenge the economic system according to new report (via Queen Mary University of London)

 <https://www.qmul.ac.uk/media/news/2023/hss/working-for-climate-justice-new-report-urges-trade-unions-to-lead-carbon-transition.html> More details 

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Why we need workers and their unions to lead the climate debate

"UK trade unions are increasingly – if belatedly – waking up to the imperatives of climate action and the need for worker led approaches." Ben Crawford and David Whyte blog for the IER.

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/comments/why-we-need-workers-and-their-unions-to-lead-the-climate-debate/> More details 

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RCN fights for members’ freedom to strike

The nurses union has responded to a UK government consultation on how to maintain minimum service levels in hospitals during strike action, saying ministers misled nursing staff on how they would be applied. 

 <https://www.rcn.org.uk/news-and-events/news/uk-rcn-fights-for-freedom-to-strike-minimum-service-levels-act-201123> More details 

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The family worker exemption revisited: a sustained campaign against the devaluation of domestic work 

New UK Labour Law blog by Natalie Sedacca (Assistant Professor in Employment Law at Durham University).

 <https://uklabourlawblog.com/2023/11/17/the-family-worker-exemption-revisited-a-sustained-campaign-against-the-devaluation-of-domestic-work-by-natalie-sedacca/> Read here 

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National Minimum Wage to rise to £11.44 per hour

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has announced an increase of £1.02 in the National Minimum Wage from the current rate of £10.42, to £11.44 – effective from April next year.

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/national-minimum-wage-to-rise-to-11-44-per-hour/> More details 

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No to the Minimum Service Levels Bill

Our Chair, John Hendy KC, is interviewed by Manchester Law Centre's Nick Sloan.  

 <https://www.gmlaw.org.uk/2023/02/28/fight-the-minimum-service-levels-bill-an-interview-with-john-hendy-kc/> Read here 

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Government tries to curb four-day week

Top-down politics were on show this month as the UK government tried to force local authorities to abandon or rule out the four-day working week. 

 <https://www.lrd.org.uk/free-read/government-tries-curb-four-day-week> More details 

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