Spain: Court rules that Deliveroo rider is employee, not contractor
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A Spanish court has ruled that a Deliveroo rider is an employee rather than a self-employed contractor in the country’s first “gig economy” ruling.
The 27-page judgment from Valencia Labour Court No. 6 could come as a blow to gig economy companies like Deliveroo, which argue that riders are self-employed contractors and should not have full employment rights.
As the rider in question was in fact a Deliveroo employee, the court found that his dismissal from the company was inappropriate and ordered him to be either rehired or compensated.
However, UK-based Deliveroo said the case, brought by the union Intersindical Valenciana, concerned a rider with an old contract which did not reflect the legal situation with current riders.
The company insists that other court rulings across Europe have confirmed that their riders are self-employed.
Deliveroo is currently considering whether to appeal the ruling.
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