DX faces legal action over pay and holidays
Mail and parcel delivery firm DX is to face legal action over the entitlement of its delivery drivers to various employment rights.
The legal action is being brought to the employment tribunal by law firm Leigh Day, on behalf of six DX drivers, and is supported by the GMB general union.
The claim argues that drivers are not self-employed contractors but workers, and that they should therefore be entitled to receive employment rights, such as being paid holiday pay and the National Minimum Wage.
These employment status issues were submitted to the conciliation service Acas in March. However, an outcome was not reached.
Justin Bowden, national secretary at GMB, said: “It is high time that gig economy employers like DX stepped up to their responsibilities for those who put in the hours for them.... Employers need to realise that they cannot continue to avoid basic workers’ rights.”
Michael Newman of Leigh Day said gig economy employers, such as DX, are trying to avoid their legal responsibilities by dressing up their relationship with their workers as self-employment.
“We intend to challenge this through the courts on behalf of those workers who are losing out,” he warned.