Uber Eats‘ employees can pick and choose when they work and get paid per delivery.
Keystone
A Geneva court has determined that the meal delivery service Uber Eats is an employer and has the obligation to hire its drivers, reports Swiss public television, SRF.
This content was published on
2 minutes
The global tech giant Uber is fighting multiple legal battles against being classified as an employer of any kind – with all the obligations and rights that would entail. Several court decisions are pending in Switzerland.
SRF’s consumer magazine Espresso has brought to light the latest, yet unpublished, judgement dealing with the issue.
In early June, the Geneva Administrative Court ruled that the food courier Uber Eats was to be classified as a personnel hirer and had to hire its drivers.
The decision is a major setback for Uber Eats, which has taken legal action against the Geneva cantonal government and vehemently denied having such a role and responsibilities in the past.
Geneva stopped the online food ordering and delivery service at the beginning of 2019 on the grounds that Uber Eats was hiring staff in Geneva without a permit. Uber Eats appealed against that decision.
The Geneva Administrative Court was receptive to the arguments of the Geneva government and classed Uber Eats as a staffing agency.
“We are very satisfied with the ruling,” says Mauro Poggia, a local official responsible for the case. “The scope of the court decision extends far beyond the canton of Geneva and does not only concern the activities of Uber Eats.”
Just like the Uber ridesharing platform, which allows people to offer taxi services, Uber Eats‘ employees can choose when they work and get paid per delivery.
Federal appeal
“This decision reflects neither the model we work with nor the reasons why couriers choose to use the Uber Eats app,” Uber Eats told Espresso. “The couriers are completely free to decide when, how often and for how long they use Uber Eats-App and whether they wish to carry out other activities. We will appeal this decision at the Federal Court.”
Kurt Pärli, a law professor at the University of Basel, notes that if the Federal Court upholds the decision, other cantons would have to follow Geneva’s approach.
Popular Stories
More
Foreign affairs
Go to war or stay put? Ukrainian men in Switzerland face fresh dilemmas
Is reforming the Swiss pension system still possible, and if so, how?
Solutions still need to be found to meet the challenge of an ageing population and to improve the pensions of low-paid workers, the majority of whom are women.
New European space tech centre in Switzerland launches its first project
This content was published on
The European Space Deep-Tech Innovation Centre (ESDI), launched in collaboration with the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), is to be located in the immediate vicinity of the PSI in northern Switzerland.
Swiss Federal Railways launches campaign for safety on public transport
This content was published on
The Swiss Federal Railways is launching a campaign for greater respect and safety on public transport, with posters to go up in stations and on trains starting next week.
Swiss scientists to use AI for improved weather and climate forecasts
This content was published on
MeteoSwiss and the Swiss Data Science Center have signed a four-year agreement to make greater use of AI in meteorology and climatology going forward.
This content was published on
Prices of owner-occupied homes rose in the third quarter of 2024 by 0.5%, with inflation affecting both apartments and single-family houses, says the Federal Statistical Office.
This content was published on
The honey harvest is projected to be lower than usual this year, as Swiss beekeepers report harvesting an average of just 16kg of honey per bee colony.
More young refugees in Switzerland following vocational training
This content was published on
More than half of young refugees and temporarily admitted persons between the ages of 16 and 25 are now in training. This is significantly more than five years ago.
One in five Swiss children suffers psychological abuse at home
This content was published on
In Switzerland, one in five children suffers psychological violence, and one in three has witnessed psychological violence between parents, says the association Kinderschutz Schweiz.
Swiss government minister breaks silence over Trump remarks controversy
This content was published on
Transport Minister Albert Rösti explained himself in a television interview on Sunday evening, after being called out for expressing support for Donald Trump.
Swiss Covid expert calls for caution on vaccination recommendations
This content was published on
The head of the vaccination commission would be “even more cautious today” when it comes to Covid-19 vaccination recommendations.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
More Swiss students and women tap and ride Uber
This content was published on
The ride-hailing service Uber presented new user figures on Monday, growing fourfold in two years in French-speaking Switzerland alone.
This content was published on
There were 559 criminal procedures against the ride sharing service Uber in 2015 and 2016 in Zurich and Lausanne, the police have said.
This content was published on
“It’s a hard blow for Uber’s business model,” work law expert Thomas Geiser told Swiss public television SRF’s RundschauExternal link programme on Thursday. “This means that every other case involving an Uber driver will be treated the same,” said the St Gallen University professor. “It means that the [Uber business model] cannot work. Uber has…
This content was published on
A short Instagram clip by a Brazilian travel blogger that paints Switzerland’s mountains in a dramatic light has gone viral.
Geneva cab drivers demand CHF4.8 million from Uber
This content was published on
According to the Le Temps paper on Friday, a lawyer representing 285 Geneva taxis has issued a notice to the ride-sharing service Uber and the canton of Geneva demanding CHF4.8 million ($4.9 million) for the improper implementation of the ban on Uber in the canton. The lawyer, Jacques Roulet, has threatened to go to the…
Driverless vehicles may lead to more congestion in cities
This content was published on
A study has found that the introduction of autonomous taxis and privately-owned driverless vehicles on Swiss streets may result in more congestion.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.