On 10 February, the UK’s Court of Appeal ruled that a plumber working on a freelance basis for London-based firm Pimlico Plumbers has the status of a “worker” and therefore should enjoy the same rights as workers. This decision, taken at such a high legal level, once again casts doubt over the workings of the so-called gig economy, based on the Uber model.
The row between Gary Smith and Pimlico Plumbers dates back to 2011, when Mr Smith suffered a cardiac arrest. Having asked that his working week be reduced from five to three days, this request was refused by the company, for which he had worked for a period of six years. Pimlico Plumbers then took back the van that it rented to Mr Smith, which the latter says was akin to being laid off. In 2012, an employment tribunal ruled that, although Mr Smith could not fully be an employee, because he enj
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