Uber in London court in employment case

Uber lawyers are in a London courtroom trying to overturn a ruling that its drivers are employees of the ride-hailing service—not independent contractors.

Britain's employment tribunal decided earlier this year that two drivers who brought a claim against the company were Uber employees, entitling them to paid time off and a guaranteed minimum wage.

Uber is appealing, arguing that drivers would lose the "personal flexibility they value" as a result of the decision.

Uber attorney Dinah Rose told the tribunal the company is incorrectly lumped together with "a variety of other platforms and businesses" amid debate over the so-called gig economy.

She says Uber has the same business model as taxi firms that use self-employed drivers but technology allows it to do so on a "much larger scale."

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