Amazon Facing Employment Rights Battle Over Deliveries

Drivers have joined a legal claim against the online giant that is founded by Jeff Bezos (Getty)

- Simon Murphy

Nearly 400 drivers who have delivered parcels for Amazon have joined a legal battle seeking compensation from the internet retail giant over employment rights, The Independent can reveal.

Legal firm Leigh Day launched a claim on behalf of one driver just months ago - but the number who have signed up to take action has now swelled to 392.

Drivers who distribute goods to addresses for Amazon via delivery service partner” firms are classed as self-employed, denying them employee rights such as the minimum wage and holiday pay. One driver involved in the legal action disclosed how he endured gruelling shifts delivering up to 300 packages a day and faced more than a month off work without pay when he fell ill. He accused Amazon of treating drivers as “slaves”, urging it instead to recognise them as employees.

Leigh Day believes at least 3,000 drivers could be entitled to an average of £10,500 in compensation for each year they have delivered parcels for the firm founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos meaning Amazon might have to pay out millions of pounds. The company – which posted a £5.8bn profit in the first three months of last year - has previously faced allegations that some drivers working for courier firms delivering its goods have taken home less than the minimum wage.

The legal action follows a landmark ruling against Uber last year in which the Supreme Court decided the app's drivers should be classified as workers and entitled to rights. It comes as a survey of drivers who had delivered parcels for Amazon over the Christmas period found nearly nine in 10 revealed that targets or working conditions had put themselves or others at risk of harm. The poll of 131 drivers, including 75 who had signed up at the time to make claims, was conducted by Leigh Day between December 27 and January 8.