Blog

More than 2,000 drivers at the retail tech giant have joined legal action that could lead to it paying hefty compensation.

The action, brought by lawyers for Leigh Day, has seen the drivers, who are currently classified as self-employed independent contractors, seeking holiday pay, the national minimum wage, the right to an employment contract, breach of contract and unauthorized deductions from wages.

Drivers currently deliver on behalf of Amazon through the companies’ “Delivery Service Partners.”

As a result, Amazon suggested that drivers have no possible course of action directly against the online retailer.

However, lawyers have filed the lawsuits against Amazon, arguing that they are liable due to the online retailer’s alleged close control and monitoring of the delivery process.

Amazon asked the court to quash all claims against it on the grounds that those claims “do not have a reasonable prospect of success.”

But after a two-day hearing, Employment Judge F Spencer delivered a reserved judgment, stating: “While the various relationships may, at first glance, appear to be a simple subcontracting arrangement, in the absence of further information about how the relationships work in practice, I cannot conclude that the case against Amazon has no reasonable prospects or that it has little reasonable prospect of success.”

Kate Robinson, a lawyer with Leigh Day’s employment team, said: “This is a huge success for the drivers we represent.

“Amazon is a multinational company and Leigh Day believes it is using a complex settlement structure to deny delivery people the employee rights we believe they should have.

“Leigh Day has always argued that because of the reality of how drivers work, including the standards drivers must meet and how they fit into Amazon’s business, drivers are not self-employed independent contractors.” .

An Amazon spokesperson said: “We are very proud of the drivers who work with our partners across the country, giving our customers what they want, when they want, wherever they are.

“We are committed to ensuring these drivers are fairly compensated by the delivery companies they work with and are treated with respect, and this is reflected in the positive feedback we hear from drivers every day.”