Switzerland: Uber driver recognised as worker in landmark employment case

Lawyer Remy Wyler told AFP that the ruling from Lausanne Labour Court was the first of its kind in Switzerland.

His client, who has not been identified, completed more than 9,000 trips over more than 5,600 hours while using the UberPop ride-hailing app between April 2015 and December 2016.

In December 2016, his UberPop login was revoked after he received a number of bad reviews from passengers.

He raised proceedings in the labour court arguing that he had been wrongfully terminated without proper notice, and demanded back-pay for holidays and other benefits.

UberPop was scrapped in late 2017 over questions about its legality, as it did not require drivers to have a taxi permit. However, the UberX service which only uses licensed drivers is still available.

In its submissions to the court, Rasier Operations, a Dutch-based subsidiary of Uber, argued that Uber drivers are independent contractors rather than employees with the right to file grievances in the labour court.

However, in a ruling delivered last week, the court found that the driver was a worker and suffered a termination without just cause.