[Mark Caswell]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56123668

1 user thanked author for this post.

sparkyflier

[ASK1945]

This is good news for people who (the Supreme Court has deemed) to have been treated unfairly by a mega company.

The ramifications of the decision are huge for Uber UK, indeed in the whole UK economy. So many people who are forced by their contractor to be self-employed, when their contract conditions show that they are actually employees, will now be able to sue for compensation for lack of rights lost, such as employment protection, sickness/maternity pay, paid holiday entitlement etc.

8 users thanked author for this post.

AnthonyDunn, TimFitzgeraldTC, LuganoPirate, Stevescoots, DavidSmith2, DerekVH, Frederic, sparkyflier

[MartynSinclair]

This should also please the treasury as more tax is generally collected through employees than the self employed, not to mention additional NI contributions. This case moves the economy more to a cashless society, with more ‘workers’ being forced to submit tax returns and pay the correct NI, whereas previously being allowed to slip through the system.

If there is a case to sue for back employment protection rights, these rights need to be paid for.. (I wonder how)…

1 user thanked author for this post.

jsn55

[ASK1945]

[quote quote=1092985]If there is a case to sue for back employment protection rights, these rights need to be paid for.. (I wonder how)…[/quote]

Martyn: you must be correct that the Treasury will be pleased about this. As for your question ……………………. in the case of Uber, there cannot be any concern that they don’t have the means to pay for the rights that were not given. The problem will arise more in the gig economy.

[LuganoPirate]

I’ve a big beef with UBER as many will know, so i was delighted with this news. It will also make it harder for UBER to deny responsibility for the actions of their drivers by claiming to be just an intermediary between the client and the driver.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Frederic

[GivingupBA]

[postquote quote=1093372]

Luganopirate, I’m very sorry I accidentally just clicked the “report” button on you as my finger drifted across the screen, I wish there had been a cancel button….

[TimFitzgeraldTC]

I think we also need to stop using the words “innovative” or “innovation” for companies that are circumventing laws and practices of countries they are operating in. The Uber models seems to be about driving down wages / costs / protections and denying liabilities.

The Uber model has been shown that it can never turn a profit unless all 3 of the below happen:

Drivers are paid less than now
Fares have to increase
All competition is removed.

To me that is not good and it is not innovation on any level. I hope they are made to pay every single penny they owe drivers and HMRC.

6 users thanked author for this post.

Frederic, Montysaurus, LuganoPirate, Cedric_Statherby, Stevescoots, canucklad

[canucklad]

[quote quote=1093418]The Uber models seems to be about driving down wages / costs / protections and denying liabilities.[/quote]

Totally, I never understood how it was right that black cab drivers have to “invest” substantial amounts of personal monies and need to strictly adhere by local council rules but a tech company comes along all fancy dancy with am innovative business model and we swoon like children under the tree on Christmas morning

Its nice to see the recent Australian Government actions against FB. trouble with the “tech” companies is that they’re different spots, but still all on the same predatory leopard. All hiding behind the global legal confusion around internet protocols . Anonymity in full view of us all !

EDIT — i’ll add , we’re all part of the problem. I’ve just ordered a bathroom set from Amazon– Does that make me at total hypocrite ?

4 users thanked author for this post.

Frederic, Montysaurus, TominScotland, DerekVH

[ASK1945]

Canuklad – I think the incorrect use of the Report button has become contagious. I automatically pressed the button on the right-hand side by mistake. I meant to press the “Thanks” button. Sorry!

1 user thanked author for this post.

Tom Otley

[Stevescoots]

[postquote quote=1093439]

Hypocritical would be if you had plenty of choice. Unfortunately we don’t in particular with Covid, I too have ended up spending a king’s ransom on amazon as other retailers online either cannot ship or the lead times were just far too long. Unfortunately where I have ordered elsewhere I have run into problems and had ended up either cancelling the order or pushing AmEx to make a refund claim. What amazon do they do very well. I have however cancelled my amazon audible subscription when I learned just how bad they pay up and coming authors and publishers.

I dont use Uber anywhere, I guess in deepest darkest Lincolnshire they don’t exist but when travelling I jump in a joe or hire with the exception of Vietnam where I use grab on balance with vina sun or mailin.
I completely agree with Australia’s stance on FB and hope they don’t cave in, I am a facebook user as unfortunately is useful, however its like smoking to me..i do it but if it was suddenly banned tomorrow I would be relived!

2 users thanked author for this post.

Montysaurus, DerekVH

[Cedric_Statherby]

[quote quote=1093465]I have however cancelled my amazon audible subscription when I learned just how bad they pay up and coming authors and publishers.[/quote]

Can I just thank Stevescoots for this and echo it in spades? I have written a number of books, and for the most recent one, the publisher has refused to put it on Amazon. When I asked why, he explained that it was because he would prefer that he and I made money out of my work, not just Jeff Bezos.

The numbers are quite startling. If we sell through the publisher’s own website, the rough split of the proceeds is: Publishing costs (printing, postage etc) 30%, publisher’s margin 35%, my royalties 35%. If we sell via Amazon they demand 55% for themselves, and the split becomes Publishing costs 25% (we do save on the P&P), publisher’s margin 10%, my royalties 10%, Amazon’s cut 55%. Oh, and they also demand storage costs for unsold books.

Amazon were surprised that we told them they could not have it (if you look for it online you will find it is listed, with full ISBN number, but “Temporarily unavailable”). They seem to work on the principle that we would prefer to grovel before them and have 10% each rather than stand tall and free and have zero. Actually, I’m not sure how many sales it has in fact cost us: numerous people have asked me how they can get it when they find their automatic first port of call doesn’t have it, and I direct them all to the publisher. Even if only a third then buy I am still better off (a third of 35% beats the 10% Amazon offer).

As well as feeling good inside.

6 users thanked author for this post.

PeterCoultas, fatbear, Montysaurus, Jacob, Stevescoots, DerekVH

[canucklad]

[quote quote=1093490]As well as feeling good inside.[/quote]

As a society we’ve yet to fully appreciate the long term cost ( on many scales) of our infatuation/ addiction to using these tech alternatives to traditional consumer habits.

I wonder what reaction there’d be to your the local council increasing our council taxes by 20+% YOY to compensate for lost revenue because we’ve collectively changed our purchasing habits to on-line and as a consequence directly devastating our own high streets ?

2 users thanked author for this post.

fatbear, Montysaurus

[LuganoPirate]

[postquote quote=1093379]

No worries, I’ve also almost done that several times as well. I wish the thanks button was on the right!!

2 users thanked author for this post.

GivingupBA, MartynSinclair

[MartynSinclair]

[quote quote=1093605]No worries, I’ve also almost done that several times as well. I wish the thanks button was on the right!![/quote]

Agreed – wonder if the left handers feel the same…

[Swissdiver]

Well it seems I disagree with a large majority here. I think the UK Supreme Court ruling is a disaster! Europe is to the decline: The idea we will be able to keep our luxurious social environment for long is a lure. Growth now takes place in Asia, where these benefits hardly exist. So we have to maintain our costs as low as possible to compete. This will also increase fares (as someone will have to pay for these benefits), making rides less affordable for those who need them (late workers notably). A very bad news indeed.

1 user thanked author for this post.

TupeloKid

[Author]

Posts