The law on the independent status of drivers of applications such as Uber is not contrary to the California Constitution, an appeals court of this US state ruled this Monday, a victory for the international company whose economic model depends on that status.
“Today’s decision is a victory for workers and the millions of Californians who voted for Proposition 22,” said Tony West, Uber’s chief legal officer, referring to the law passed in a 2020 referendum that made paid work off little by little, but it gave drivers some benefits.
Drivers associations and unions campaigning for the status of employees won their first battle in August 2021, when a judge declared Proposition 22 “unconstitutional” because it limited “the power of the assembly” to legislate in the future on this matter.
Defeat of Uber in several countries
Uber embodies the “gig economy,” or the gig economy, widely adopted, but also heavily criticized, in many of the world’s major cities.
The group defends its economic model step by step, but has had to release ballast in certain countries. In the United Kingdom, in 2021 it was to grant salaried worker status to its British drivers, with minimum wage and paid holidays, a world first for the company.
But in the United States the platform continues to resist. With its competitor Lyft and delivery services, it had spent more than $200 million in 2020 to promote a “yes” on Proposition 22.
And three months before the vote, the two California companies had threatened to completely stop their service in the state, which would have put tens of thousands of people out of work. Voters had voted 58.6% in favor of the law proposed by the companies.
“Drivers across the state have said they are happy with Proposition 22, which allows them to enjoy new benefits while maintaining job flexibility through apps,” Tony West said Monday.
Source: BFM TV
