Huge win for Uber as Brazilian Federal Judge rules drivers as independent workers
- Feb 8, 2020
- 1 min read
A Brazilian Judge has ruled in favour of ride-sharing firm Uber, against a driver working on the app who argued that he should be entitled to employment rights.
At the high Court on Wednesday 5 February, it was determined that there was no employment relationship between Uber and the driver, arguing that the drivers have the freedom to log off from the app whenever they want, giving them the flexibility of a self employed person.
The federal court ruling, the first of its kind in Uber's largest South American market, is now expected to set the standard for any future challenges over workers' rights.
Uber had argued that its platform is a digital intermediary, not an employer, and that drivers accept that condition when they sign on, Reuters first reported.
Judge Medeiros stressed that drivers work flexible hours, and take home 75-80% of the total fare on trips. Uber has more than 600,000 drivers in over 100 cities in Brazil working on the platform, so it will no doubt have been imperative to them that this ruling went in their favour.
Image credit: Pixabay (Remixed)
