Hermes couriers are workers not self-employed, says Leeds tribunal
An employment tribunal in Leeds has ruled that couriers working for the UK delivery firm Hermes should be considered workers, not self-employed.
In a statement sent to Post&Parcel today (25 June), the GMB union said that this was a “landmark legal victory” for gig economy workers.
The GMB added: “In an important ruling, which will potentially affect thousands of Hermes couriers, the tribunal ruled a group of Hermes couriers were not independent contractors, as Hermes argued, but are in fact workers who are entitled to essential workers’ rights.
“These include the right to be paid the National Minimum Wage, receive paid holiday and reclaim unlawful deductions from their wages.
“The ruling affects the 65 couriers that have already brought claims, but is also likely to impact upon the wider network of 14,500 Hermes couriers who are engaged under the same contract as the couriers.”
Frank Field, the veteran Labour MP who chairs the House of Commons Works and Pension Committee and is currently involved with an inquiry into the employment status of Deliveroo couriers, welcomed the Tribunal’s decision on his Twitter feed: “Can even the World Cup produce a better result than this? It ranks among the most substantial judicial interventions ever to support vulnerable workers in this country. The decision is a mega knockback to those companies still using old means of exploiting vulnerable workers.”
A Hermes spokesperson was quoted as saying: “We will carefully review the tribunal’s decision, but we are likely to appeal it given that it goes against previous decisions, our understanding of the witness evidence and what we believe the law to be.”
