Autocab acquisition by Uber

[Rat Catcher]

I don't think Free Now operate in California. Back in the Hail0 days they lost c.US$100,000,000 before leaving the US market.

[watty]

If UBER drivers were deemed by the courts in the UK to be employees,then why does the same criteria not apply to dispatchers here who operate similarly ?

I don't think it was the UK that said they're employees, it was California, the sun and the drugs got to their head

Uber UK has lost every case in every court so far and they've gambled one last time on the UK Supreme Court.  Sept is D-day.

Uber Vs. London – The Courtroom Battle The World Is Watching

Uber, the mobile ride-hailing giant responsible globally for over 1.9 billion “trips” a year is facing a summer showdown in two London courts as scrutiny mounts over licensing issues and the drivers’ classification as “workers.” Both cases have huge ramifications for Uber and could set a precedent for so-called “gig economy” workers around the world.

With decisions expected in September, the two Uber drivers at the heart of the 5-year long battle for representation and basic rights have told Forbes that Uber’s ride-hailing system is a danger to its exhausted drivers, and global change is desperately needed. The former drivers claim that forcing Uber to accept drivers as workers will help rid Uber of its “sweatshop labor” culture, and reset the dehumanising “entitlement” differential between riders and drivers. London’s Supreme court has now broken to consider its decision.

Uber now faces making significant changes to its business model in the U.K. If the court rules against Uber, they will be expected to pay minimum wage and grant holiday time to drivers. However, that sum is likely to pale in comparison to the 20% VAT and 13.2% national insurance contributions Uber will have to pay to the British taxman if the court does agree that Uber is a “transportation provider.” The Good Law project has estimated from 2017 earnings that the figure for Uber’s VAT in the U.K. could be in “excess” of $1.3 billion per year.

The ECJ has already said Uber is a transporation service and not a software company (can't remember the exact legal phrase)

...The [UK] Supreme Court ruling pitches a global tech super-power with a $50 billion plus market cap, against the very drivers that made Uber such a phenomenal offering. If London’s Supreme Court upholds the employment tribunal’s ruling, Uber will be forced to recognise drivers as much more than merely contractors and will be entitled to basic worker benefits and the minimum wage. With ongoing legal proceedings in the Supreme Court of Canada and with an incoming lawsuit from California’s attorney general filed in May – all eyes are on London to potentially set a global precedent.

[Shallowhal]

Uber love throwing millions of dollars around like confetti at a hanging....but don't like contributing small change for the grushie!!

[watty]

Good point.  Uber's M.O. so far around the world has been to undercut the competition and price them out of business.  They charge about 50% of the 'real' fare and are losing ~$700million every 90 days.  That's why the Autocab tie-up is confusing.  Maybe they'll rebrand if they lose in the UK Supreme Court and claim they're Autocab and not Uber?

[watty]

SCHRODINGER’S CAB FIRM: UBER’S EXISTENTIAL CRISIS (London Reconnections, Late 2019)

This is a good, if long, summary of Uber's predicaments in London and the UK.  It also highlights that Uber could potentially owe HMRC (Revenue) over £1b in unpaid VAT