[UK] Hundreds of delivery drivers join labour rights battle against Amazon

Nearly 400 drivers who have delivered packages for Amazon have joined a legal battle seeking compensation from the internet retailer over labour rights, Plainsmen Post reports.

According to reporting from The Independent, the legal firm Leigh Day launched a claim on behalf of one single driver a few months ago, but the number of people who have signed up to take action has now climbed to 392.

Drivers who deliver Amazon packages to addresses through “delivery service partner” companies are classified as self-employed, a status that denies them employee rights such as the minimum wage and holiday pay.

A driver involved in the legal action revealed that he endured gruelling shifts delivering up to 300 packages a day and faced more than a month without work or pay when he fell ill. He accused Amazon of treating drivers like “slaves,” and urged the internet giant to recognise them as employees.

Leigh Day believes at least 3,000 drivers could be entitled to an average of £10,500 in compensation each year they deliver packages for the company, meaning Amazon could potentially have to shell out millions of pounds.

Amazon posted a £5.8bn profit in the first three months of 2021. It has previously faced accusations that some drivers working for courier companies to deliver its goods have taken home less than the minimum wage.

The legal action follows a landmark ruling against Uber last year in which the Supreme Court decided that the app’s drivers should be classified as workers and entitled to the appropriate rights and benefits.

A survey of drivers who delivered packages for Amazon over the Christmas period found that nearly nine in 10 said working targets or conditions had put them or others at risk of harm. The survey of 131 drivers - including 75 who had already signed up to make claims at the time - was reportedly conducted by Leigh Day between December 27 and January 8.

Eight in 10 of those surveyed said their delivery job had felt more pressured since the COVID-19 pandemic and only half said the money they earned from the job covered the cost of living. 

Around a third said that they worked more than 12 hours a day and 94 per cent revealed that they worked without a break. One in five said they had worked more than six days in a row without having a day off.

Leigh Day filed an employment court lawsuit on behalf of a driver in August 2021 and another driver signed on when the legal action was published in October. As of January 28, a further 390 drivers had registered with Leigh Day to take legal action.

When asked what his message to Amazon would be, one driver involved in the legal action said, “Just treat drivers, everyone who works for them, like employees and stop treating them like slaves.”

Leigh Day has been publicising the legal action on the radio and on billboards in a bid to raise awareness. The claims being made are against Amazon and up to 40 of its “delivery service partners.”

Leigh Day said thirteen individual claims have been filed with employment tribunals, so far, and the law firm said the rest will be filed in the coming months. Drivers must have delivered Amazon packages in the previous 10 weeks when they register with Leigh Day to make a claim. It means that not everyone involved in the action is necessarily delivering for Amazon currently.

Leigh Day lawyer, Kate Robinson, said, “Leigh Day is acting on behalf of drivers who are asserting employee rights against Amazon. This means that the drivers are asking the employment court to recognize that the way drivers work in practice and how they fit into Amazon’s business means they should be classified as employees rather than self-employed as they currently are.

“Being classified as employees would give them rights they are not currently entitled to, such as vacation pay, at least the national minimum wage, and an employment contract. If the labor court agrees that the drivers are employees, the plaintiffs will go back to court to decide how much compensation should be awarded.”

An Amazon spokesperson said, “We are so proud of the drivers who work with our partners across the country, giving our customers what they want, when they want, wherever they are. 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 in the positive feedback we hear from drivers every day.”

Source: Plainsmen Post

(Quotes via original reporting)

Nearly 400 drivers who have delivered packages for Amazon have joined a legal battle seeking compensation from the internet retailer over labour rights, Plainsmen Post reports.

According to reporting from The Independent, the legal firm Leigh Day launched a claim on behalf of one single driver a few months ago, but the number of people who have signed up to take action has now climbed to 392.

Drivers who deliver Amazon packages to addresses through “delivery service partner” companies are classified as self-employed, a status that denies them employee rights such as the minimum wage and holiday pay.

A driver involved in the legal action revealed that he endured gruelling shifts delivering up to 300 packages a day and faced more than a month without work or pay when he fell ill. He accused Amazon of treating drivers like “slaves,” and urged the internet giant to recognise them as employees.

Leigh Day believes at least 3,000 drivers could be entitled to an average of £10,500 in compensation each year they deliver packages for the company, meaning Amazon could potentially have to shell out millions of pounds.

Amazon posted a £5.8bn profit in the first three months of 2021. It has previously faced accusations that some drivers working for courier companies to deliver its goods have taken home less than the minimum wage.

The legal action follows a landmark ruling against Uber last year in which the Supreme Court decided that the app’s drivers should be classified as workers and entitled to the appropriate rights and benefits.

A survey of drivers who delivered packages for Amazon over the Christmas period found that nearly nine in 10 said working targets or conditions had put them or others at risk of harm. The survey of 131 drivers - including 75 who had already signed up to make claims at the time - was reportedly conducted by Leigh Day between December 27 and January 8.

Eight in 10 of those surveyed said their delivery job had felt more pressured since the COVID-19 pandemic and only half said the money they earned from the job covered the cost of living. 

Around a third said that they worked more than 12 hours a day and 94 per cent revealed that they worked without a break. One in five said they had worked more than six days in a row without having a day off.

Leigh Day filed an employment court lawsuit on behalf of a driver in August 2021 and another driver signed on when the legal action was published in October. As of January 28, a further 390 drivers had registered with Leigh Day to take legal action.

When asked what his message to Amazon would be, one driver involved in the legal action said, “Just treat drivers, everyone who works for them, like employees and stop treating them like slaves.”

Leigh Day has been publicising the legal action on the radio and on billboards in a bid to raise awareness. The claims being made are against Amazon and up to 40 of its “delivery service partners.”

Leigh Day said thirteen individual claims have been filed with employment tribunals, so far, and the law firm said the rest will be filed in the coming months. Drivers must have delivered Amazon packages in the previous 10 weeks when they register with Leigh Day to make a claim. It means that not everyone involved in the action is necessarily delivering for Amazon currently.

Leigh Day lawyer, Kate Robinson, said, “Leigh Day is acting on behalf of drivers who are asserting employee rights against Amazon. This means that the drivers are asking the employment court to recognize that the way drivers work in practice and how they fit into Amazon’s business means they should be classified as employees rather than self-employed as they currently are.

“Being classified as employees would give them rights they are not currently entitled to, such as vacation pay, at least the national minimum wage, and an employment contract. If the labor court agrees that the drivers are employees, the plaintiffs will go back to court to decide how much compensation should be awarded.”

An Amazon spokesperson said, “We are so proud of the drivers who work with our partners across the country, giving our customers what they want, when they want, wherever they are. 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 in the positive feedback we hear from drivers every day.”

Source: Plainsmen Post

(Quotes via original reporting)