Hundreds of London taxi drivers take on Uber rival Ola in fight for fair pay

Leigh Day is currently acting on behalf of 400 Ola drivers in London who are currently treating its drivers as independently self-employed. The firm argues that, because of the way the Ola operates, they should instead be classified as workers.

Workers are entitled to certain rights and protections, including holiday pay and the right to receive at least the National Minimum Wage.

The legal action follows success in the Supreme Court for Uber drivers in February 2021, who were also represented by Leigh Day. The court ruled they should be classified as workers and given workers’ rights.

Ola operates a similar business model to Uber. If claims against Ola are successful, drivers will claim compensation for Ola’s failure to pay holiday pay and for the difference between the money they earned and National Minimum Wage.

Ola will only be legally required to compensate those who have brought a claim.

Annie Powell, a partner in the employment team at Leigh Day, said:

“The fact that 400 drivers in London have joined the fight for workers’ rights against Ola shows the strength of feeling. It can be daunting to stand up to your employer, but Leigh Day is here to give these people a voice.

“We believe there is strength in numbers and the more people who stand up for what they deserve, the more likely these big companies are to take notice and stop unfairly treating their workers.

“We are in the midst of a cost of living crisis, so to be denying workers the pay they believe they are entitled is even more galling.”