Tribunal rules CitySprint courier is entitled to workers’ rights
11 January 2017
The London Central Employment Tribunal has ruled that a bicycle courier for logistics organisation CitySprint is a worker, and is therefore entitled to benefits such as holiday pay.
In the case of Dewhurst v CitySprint UK, Dewhurst contended that she was employed as a worker rather than an independent contractor, and was therefore entitled to worker rights, such as holiday pay. Dewhurst, who has been accepting work from CitySprint UK for the past two years, was seeking payment for two days’ holiday she had taken.
Dewhurst’s claim was supported by the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) and was heard at the London Central Employment Tribunal in November 2016.
The Employment Tribunal’s decision, which was released on Friday 6 January 2017, found that the claimant Dewhurst was a worker during the hours that she provided services for CitySprint, and that CitySprint had unlawfully failed to pay her for two days’ holiday.
Employment judge Wade found that CitySprint regulated the amount of work available to couriers, and from the time that Dewhurst signed on to the courier circuit in the morning until she signed off at night, she was not and could not meaningfully provide services to anyone else.
Read more about the case from Employee Benefits.