Deliveroo riders aren’t entitled to collective bargaining rights, UK court says

By DANICA KIRKA
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s top court has ruled that riders for one of the country’s biggest meal delivery companies don’t have collective bargaining rights because they aren’t employees. It’s a setback for gig economy workers pushing for better pay and working conditions. The Supreme Court’s ruling Tuesday came in a case filed by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain, which had sought to organize the people who deliver takeout meals for Deliveroo. After Deliveroo refused to negotiate, the union appealed. The court says collective bargaining rights apply only when there’s an “employment relationship.” It says Deliveroo riders aren’t employees because their contract allows them to appoint a substitute.