ADCU calls for TfL and other licensing authorities to insert WORKER RIGHTS licensing conditions after Bolt ruling

The App Drivers and Couriers Union (ADCU) is urging the UK Government and licensing bodies, including Transport for London (TfL), to enforce worker rights as a standard condition for licensing private hire operators.

This demand follows a decisive ruling by the Employment Tribunal against ride-hailing company Bolt, which found that drivers with the app, when within a licensed area and actively accepting work, are classified as “workers” under the Employment Rights Act.

This classification entitles drivers to rights such as minimum wage and paid leave, marking a significant moment for gig economy workers who have long sought fair treatment.

In recent years, gig economy operators have contended that drivers are independent contractors, not workers, to avoid the obligations of UK employment law. However, the Tribunal’s decision aligns with the 2021 Supreme Court ruling on similar claims brought by Uber drivers, where it was determined that drivers actively logged onto a platform’s app and available to accept trips fall under UK worker protections.

ADCU has confirmed it is reviewing the judgment and will release further guidance to its members. The union emphasises that such legal rulings illustrate the need for all private hire and courier firms to comply fully with employment laws. This latest ruling also raises a broader question about the role of the UK Government, which has been criticised for failing to provide adequate protections for gig economy workers in the current Employment Bill.

The ADCU is now pushing for ride-hailing companies, including Bolt and Uber, to work alongside unions to uphold employment laws without necessitating further legal action. The union believes a change in licensing conditions could drive greater compliance across the sector, preventing lengthy litigation for each case of misclassification.

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Zamir Dreni, Bolt ADCU General Secretary, said: “This ruling against Bolt is long overdue but, once again, the poorest paid workers must spend years in litigation while successive governments stand by idly. The ruling vindicates our position on working time and demonstrates that neither Bolt nor Uber have never fully complied with the Supreme Court ruling which means that between 40 and 60% of true working time remains unpaid.

“Rather than force workers back into courts for another decade of litigation, the Government needs to step in now and fix the current employment bill, which omitted protections for gig workers, so that Britain’s hard working minicab drivers and delivery couriers get the protections they deserve.”