Catching the eyes of the world is Bolt, the Estonia-based ride-hailing app. Its drivers — egged on by Uber — are appealing against their classification as workers in an employment tribunal in central London. This case is one of the biggest of its kind in recent years. It will look into the working conditions of Bolt drivers, ruling on whether they should be compensated for lack of paid holiday and gaps in the national living wage.
Bolt, which launched in the UK in 2019, has quickly expanded its footprint on the ground. Today, it continues to function with about 100,000 drivers in such cities as London and Manchester. The company has long resisted this effort, misclassifying its drivers as independent contractors—a classification many drivers challenge in court. They argue that Bolt exerts significant control over their working conditions, which should qualify them for worker status and the associated benefits.
On August 1, 2023, Bolt declared this all to be very boring business model and business model over. These changes will mean drivers get holiday pay and a guaranteed national living wage. These transitions mark a major new step forward for Bolt. They are a direct answer to drivers’ long-standing assertions that their rights as workers have been trampled on.
Over the next three weeks, the employment tribunal will look at the working conditions of Bolt drivers. These claims will decide if these drivers count as workers and if they should be paid for lost holiday pay and national living wage shortfalls. A spokesperson commented on the tribunal proceedings.
This legal challenge is part of a much larger discussion taking place across the nation regarding the nature of the gig economy and gig worker rights. Many Bolt drivers feel that they should be treated as workers due to the level of control Bolt maintains over their work, including how rides are dispatched and their earnings structured. That’s led to an insatiable appetite for honor. Workers don’t just demand better rights but better benefits often afforded to full employees.
Charlotte Pettman, the Leigh Day associate solicitor who is acting for the drivers, called the case a “landmark judgement”.
This is the largest such case in many recent years,” she said.
Like Bolt, drivers have increasingly cried foul, and in turn, Bolt began to act. Uber’s pitch to potential drivers emphasizes the flexibility and independence that being a self-employed contractor entails. The benefit of this new model, according to the company, is that it frees drivers to become their own bosses. Most private-hire drivers appreciate this arrangement as it allows them to set their own prices and determine their earning capacity.
“Enables drivers to be their own boss, and the majority of private-hire drivers consistently state that they wish to remain self-employed independent contractors, as they value the flexibility, personal control over pricing, and earning potential offered by this model,” a representative from Bolt remarked.
The tribunal’s ruling could have major ramifications for how other ride-hailing companies are able to define their drivers in the UK. Should the tribunal rule in the drivers’ favor, it may open the floodgates of scrutiny on such practices across the gig economy. This ruling could set a precedent to alter how companies across the board engage with their employees.
As the tribunal continues, though, Bolt and its drivers are preparing for a lengthy court battle. This struggle has the potential to change their business model profoundly and determine whether the future of work in the ride-hailing industry will be one of exploitation or fairness.