Cycle courier wins holiday pay in 'gig economy' tribunal case

A cycle courier has been awarded holiday pay after another employment tribunal case involving workers in the so-called gig economy.

Central London Employment Tribunal said Andrew Boxer was entitled to a week's holiday pay from his employers Excel, even though he was self-employed.

The Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain welcomed the ruling.

General Secretary Jason Moyer-Lee said: "This judgement is yet further evidence of what we have known to be true all along - courier companies are unlawfully depriving their workers of rights.

"As the tribunal dominoes continue to fall, we would recommend that courier companies which are not yet subject to litigation by the IWGB urgently get their act together."

The IWGB brought test cases against a number of courier companies a year ago, with further hearings expected in the coming months.

An employment tribunal found in January that a courier with CitySprint should also be classed as a worker rather than self-employed and that she should be entitled to basic rights including holiday and sick pay and the National Living Wage.

Taxi-hailing firm Uber lost a similar case last year and has launched an appeal.

A worker at Pimlico Plumbers last month won a legal battle when the Court of Appeal agreed with a tribunal that said he was entitled to basic workers' rights, although he was technically self-employed.

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