Are uber drivers self employed or not?

[TestMangler]

I cannot see how a ruling against Uber for not providing holiday, paid breaks, sickness, cannot ( must not ) apply to every cab & delivery company in the country.

Just because you book the ride through an "app", isn't really any difference to calling the central taxi company number.

That would be your failure to understand how it works

Taxi drivers pay the rank to be on their system to access their jobs. The rank doesn't pay the drivers to do the jobs.

The slight difference with Uber is that the jobs are prepaid and Uber pay the drivers.

[tomtomagain]

All this will really do is stop drivers signing on with a rank or company and do all the work privately

But how will they get the work? Without a rank or company like Uber there's no efficient way for them to collect rides.

Driving the streets looking to pick up passengers is illegal.

... nope the two GMB stooges have opened pandora's box and I don't think the majority of taxi drivers are going to be pleased with the results.

[eek]

This wasn't brought by the drivers but by the unions.

Yep - it's a shame IPSE didn't and won't talking to them.

[Old Greg]

Yep - it's a shame IPSE didn't and won't talking to them.

Perhaps if the Uber drivers started taking loans from offshore Trusts, then IPSE would take an interest.

[GB9]

Perhaps if the Uber drivers started taking loans from offshore Trusts, then IPSE would take an interest.

More amusing than usual.

[Old Greg]

More amusing than usual.

Not in USD or EUR terms.

[tomtomagain]

That would be your failure to understand how it works

Taxi drivers pay the rank to be on their system to access their jobs. The rank doesn't pay the drivers to do the jobs.

The slight difference with Uber is that the jobs are prepaid and Uber pay the drivers.

Ok. So Uber could get round the whole thing by declaring itself a "virtual Rank". And charging the drivers a flat fee per day to access the rank.

[SueEllen]

Ok. So Uber could get round the whole thing by declaring itself a "virtual Rank". And charging the drivers a flat fee per day to access the rank.

Uber drivers don't have a rank.

They don't even have a cab office or base the drivers can hang out outside between jobs while annoying the local residents.

Uber's model is different from traditional taxi firms. Drivers tend to park their cars within 5 minutes drive of busy areas and wait for fares between jobs. linky

[TestMangler]

Ok. So Uber could get round the whole thing by declaring itself a "virtual Rank". And charging the drivers a flat fee per day to access the rank.

That's pretty much what they do already except that it's a fee per fare (20% I think), but yes, that would bring them in line with normal phone based Private Hire, where owners/drivers pay a 'radio fee' to access the system and shout for jobs. Can see this turning into a bit of a legal mess.

As I said though, the differentiation between Uber and normal Private Hire is that Uber collect the fares and pay the drivers. As you suggest, Uber could charge a flat fee and allow the drivers to collect fares in cash, but I think that does away with Uber's convenience from the users point of view, ie phone, book, pay in one go. Private Hire drivers are famous for their ability to add a bit to the fare when it';s a cash job

[bobspud]

The thing we need to be very wary of is that uber for all the things it does well is burning venture capital to destroy the incumbent suppliers. I don't believe that Uber is making a profit or paying any taxes on any either at this stage. So from where I am sat using a black cab costs more because of the business model. (have to use a certain type of vehicle / need to pass tests etc)