Uber loses Dutch ruling

A court in Amsterdam ruled Monday that Uber drivers fall under the Dutch taxi drivers’ collective labor agreement — meaning they are entitled to the same employment benefits as taxi drivers.

Uber, which has 4,000 drivers in Amsterdam, said it would appeal.

The civil court said in a statement that three judges ruled that the legal relationship between Uber and its drivers “conforms to all the characteristics of an employment contract.”

The Dutch workers’ organization that brought the case called the decision a major victory for Uber drivers.

“This verdict shows what we have been saying for years: Uber is an employer and the drivers are employees, so Uber has to abide by the taxi traffic collective labor agreement,” said Zakaria Boufangacha, vice-chair of the Federation of Dutch Unions.

The Dutch court decision follows a similar ruling by Britain’s High Court in February that said Uber drivers are “workers” and not selfemployed.