A group legal claim has been filed on behalf of eCourier drivers who say they have been wrongly denied basic workers’ rights. Fifteen former drivers, backed by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB), are leading the case, with law firm Leigh Day expecting up to 500 drivers could be eligible to join.
The claim argues drivers have been misclassified as self-employed contractors, despite being under “significant control and pressure” from eCourier, which is owned by Royal Mail. They say this means they should be entitled to holiday pay, the National Minimum Wage and other protections.
Leigh Day, which has won similar cases against Uber, Addison Lee and others, says drivers could receive thousands in compensation if successful. Partner Liana Wood said: “Our clients believe eCourier is wrongly classifying its drivers to avoid paying them fairly.”
eCourier insists drivers can choose between worker or contractor status.
Are you classifying your drivers fairly? Or are you accumulating a potentially serious unexpected-costs issue?