Hermes UK loses trial for bogus self-employment

Author: Dimitri Lagun
Date: 04.07.2018

Courier driver declared as self-employed, not as employed

Hermes UK lost a trial in the UK in the matter of bogus self-employment. 15 former and current courier drivers were originally declared as self employed by Hermes. The Labor Court in Leeds now ruled that the drivers are “not classified as self-employed but as employees.”

Originally, there were only 15 couriers, but the union GMB Union spoke of 65 affected couriers. The GMB Union was the counterclaimant and was able to win against Hermes UK. As result the courier drivers now have a claim to holiday pay and legal minimum wage.

The judgement could affect up to 14,500 courier drivers at Hermes UK, which were also listed as self-employed, according to the union. “We urge Hermes to sit down with us and have a serious discussion” said GMB Secretary General Tim Roache.

Although Hermes UK was prepared for the consequences of the judgement, they want to re-examine it and possibly appeal. In Germany Hermes also often appears in a bad light. Besides to a nationwide raid against a Hermes service partner, office rooms in Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia were scanned by federal police investigators at the beginning of June. The logistician was under suspicion of the commercial and gang-based infiltration of foreigners.