Respect to the woman bringing the case forwards. I can't imagine how tough life is working for these companies, at minimum wage or below, in dangerous conditions. She must have been working insane hours just to get by, and to be involved in a complex court case on top of it.
People who sue gig economy companies like this ruin it for everyone else. Some people want to have a relationship with their employers where the set their own hours, work one week and not the next, or just work a few hours a week. When gig companies get pushed into being traditional employers through legal action the have to convert to having traditional labor practices. Fixed number of hours a week, setting their employee's schedule etc. If someone doesn't like the arrangement with a gig company, then don't work there! Don't take the job then sue to ruin the arrangement for everyone else.
What if the person has no choice but to work in insecure employment? And you have a family to support? In the UK life is pretty bleak for the unskilled or the unlucky. Your job options are either a zero hours contract, or you go gig. In both cases you have zero security, get screwed if you have an accident, and likely earn below subsistence. This is why there are so many food banks in the UK. Gig and zero hours are exploitation of desperate people. I have seen so many deliveroo riders in London having accidents, knowing they won't get sick pay, it's quite frankly disgusting.
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