The GMB has announced that is is representing three delivery firms used by Amazon and whose self employed drivers are effectively under the control of Amazon and should therefore receive the benefits of employees. It appears that Amazon has been insisting that the affected drivers are required to work scheduled shifts under its control and did not have the flexibility that self-employed drivers do.
A GMB spokesperson said: “In this situation, the couriers were treated like employees in terms of their working hours and the GMB union contends that they should be treated as employees in terms of their rights too.”
An initial case involving seven drivers is being brought to court. Two of the drivers have been dismissed by Amazon and both have alleged that this was due to raising concerns about working practices which include being made to work excessive hours and drive unsafely to meet “unrealistic targets.”
GMB general secretary Tim Roache said: “Companies like Amazon can’t have it both ways – they can’t decide they want all of the benefits of having an employee, but refuse to give those employees the pay and rights they are entitled to.”
The GMB is currently fighting similar cases against Deliveroo, Addison Lee and CityLink, having already won a case against Uber.
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