Your Uber in the UK could get more expensive, but you may feel it's worth it

Your Uber in the UK is likely to get more expensive soon, thanks to a new ruling. 

A long-running employment tribunal case has ruled that two Uber drivers should be classified as employees of the company, rather than being self-employed.

This means the employees involved are entitled to holiday pay, paid rest breaks and the National Minimum Wage.

At this time it only affects two employees of the 40,000 plus Uber drivers active in the UK - but it does set a precedent for all those who work for the driving app.

It may soon mean the price of your Uber will be increased and passed on to the customer, unless Uber decides to suck up the extra costs.

A big step

Jo Bertram, Regional General Manager of Uber in the UK said, “Tens of thousands of people in London drive with Uber precisely because they want to be self-employed and their own boss. 

"The overwhelming majority of drivers who use the Uber app want to keep the freedom and flexibility of being able to drive when and where they want. While the decision of this preliminary hearing only affects two people we will be appealing it.”

This ruling could also have implications worldwide as well - Uber has been implicated in lawsuits in both the US and Australia and this case may set precedent for other countries.

It's also likely to effect other employees in the service industry who work for companies such as Deliveroo or UberEATS.

Today Uber also announced it will be bringing Surge pricing to Uber Eats meaning the price of your takeaway is also likely to get more expensive if you live in London.

James Peckham

James is Managing Editor for Android Police. Previously, he was Senior Phones Editor for TechRadar, and he has covered smartphones and the mobile space for the best part of a decade bringing you news on all the big announcements from top manufacturers making mobile phones and other portable gadgets. James is often testing out and reviewing the latest and greatest mobile phones, smartwatches, tablets, virtual reality headsets, fitness trackers and more. He once fell over.