The two test cases, which have been taken to a London Employment Tribunal, will determine the outcome of a further 17 claims brought against the company.

The argument in both cases is whether Uber’s drivers are classed as workers or self-employed, which have different employment rights in law.

Workers have similar rights to employees. They’re entitled to holiday pay, are protected from unlawful cuts to their pay and may be entitled to sickness pay.

The drivers in this case argue that Uber is acting unlawfully by not ensuring they’re paid minimum wage, and by not offering them holiday and sick pay.

Uber argues their drivers are self-employed, not workers, so aren’t legally entitled to these benefits.

The Uber app lets passengers book and pay for taxis on their smartphones, and is available in 450 cities across 70 countries.

Passengers pay Uber for the journey, and the driver gets a percentage of that payment.

There are around 30,000 Uber drivers in London, with some two million people using the app in the City.

A decision is not expected for several weeks, but if the Tribunal rules in favour of the drivers it could trigger claims by tens of thousands of other Uber drivers.

Source: BBC News