Bike couriers are taking their employers to court in a dispute over workers rights, paid holiday and minimum wages. According to the BBC the case could have a “huge impact on the growing number of workers who are being wrongly categorised as self-employed.”. The BBC reported that the couriers are considered “self-employed contractors” despite working for one firm for about 50 hours a week. The courier companies have rejected the claims.
According to reports, London bike couriers can cover between 60 to 70 miles, and are paid between £2 and £3 per delivery, depending on distance. The BBC reported that an estimated 4.8 million people in the UK are self-employed. According to a survey by Citizens Advice last August as many as 460,000 people could be “bogusly self-employed”, and therefore missing out on all the rights that an employed person is entitled to.
Read the full story on the BBC website