by Bill White
Today's outrageous Supreme Court ruling made unanimously against Uber, the global ride-hailing App (company), is yet another example of how the Left destroys everything it touches.
The decision, which was originally brought by Yaseen Aslam, James Farrer, Robert Dawson, and 32 other Uber drivers, will have a heavy impact upon Uber BV, the Dutch parent corporation that holds the intellectual property rights associated with the Uber App.
Also impacted by the ruling is Uber London Limited, which is a UK registered company which, since May 2012, has held a Private Hire Vehicle Operator Licence pursuant to the Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998 and Uber Britannia Limited, which holds or manages PHV Operator Licences issued by various local authorities outside London.
Based upon the court's ruling, Uber drivers will now be entitled to the UK minimum wage (set to increase to £8.91 per hour in April 2021), holiday and sick pay and while that represents a considerable setback with the added and ongoing expense for Uber, this decision could also now give rise to tens of thousands of cabbies throughout the country suing the company for damages based on the perception that Uber has, until now, been operating illegally. The prospect of this could bankrupt Uber.
Uber generates a turnover of approximately £60 million in the UK, compared to the company's worldwide turnover that exceeds $1 billion.
Business models, like Uber, only thrive in markets where true capitalism and free enterprise form an integral part of the economy and, more importantly, are deeply rooted in the workforce's psyche. Sadly, the UK is not sufficiently advanced, away from socialism, to support the Uber model as evidenced by this claim and the subsequent decision.
Rather than working harder; instead of developing new territories or providing better service and thereby earning more money based upon merit, the original claimants sought to pursue the hand that fed them for a guarantee; a minimum, which is a something for nothing entitlement that has historically prevented the UK economy from achieving its true potential.
If I was advising Uber I would tell management that it's time to exit the UK market until such time as it has freed itself from the shackles of socialism. In the meantime, or should the company decide to remain in this market I would reduce the number of drivers, establish rigid performance requirements and cap the drivers' earnings to compensate the company for the inevitable added costs that will follow this decision.
These drivers wanted a minimum wage and I would ensure that they got it.
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Bill White is the CEO of WireNews.