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UK drivers delivering for Amazon seek employee rights

UK drivers delivering for Amazon seek employee rights
A delivery driver unloads Amazon-branded boxes in Manchester, northwest England on October 19, 2020 (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
Kiran Paul
By Kiran PaulOct 14, 2021
Kiran Paul
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Thousands of Britons delivering items for Amazon should receive entitlements such as the minimum wage, according to a law firm which is launching an employee rights claim against the US giant.

At least 3,000 people making deliveries via 'Delivery Service Partners' are currently self-employed but should be reclassified as employees with rights such as sick pay, according to law firm Leigh Day.

Total compensation could reach £140 million, it said.

"Drivers delivering for Amazon have to work set shifts and book time off, yet Amazon claim they are self-employed," said Kate Robinson, a solicitor in the employment team.

The action is one of many in a long-running battle with firms over how people should be classified at work. The Supreme Court ruled against Uber on worker rights earlier in 2021.

In a statement, Amazon said: "We are committed to ensuring these drivers are fairly compensated by the delivery companies they work with and are treated with respect, and this is reflected by the positive feedback we hear from drivers every day."

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