'Riders' and taxi drivers denounce Uber Eats for "possible criminal organization"

Élite Taxi, RidersxDerechos and Taxi Project have filed a complaint against Uber Eats for alleged crimes of fraud, against workers, against public finances and against Social Security, "within a possible criminal organization", according to the complaint, which Europa Press had access to this Thursday.

Oliver Thansan
Oliver Thansan
27 September 2023 Wednesday 16:27
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'Riders' and taxi drivers denounce Uber Eats for "possible criminal organization"

Élite Taxi, RidersxDerechos and Taxi Project have filed a complaint against Uber Eats for alleged crimes of fraud, against workers, against public finances and against Social Security, "within a possible criminal organization", according to the complaint, which Europa Press had access to this Thursday.

The brief has been presented before the Central Investigative Court of the National Court, and is against Uber Systems Spain and Portier Eats Spain, which have the Uber Eats trademark, in addition to extending to executives.

In a statement, the complainants have assured that, after the entry into force of the Rider Law, "Uber Eats has made a change in its model: from false self-employment it went to temporary subcontracting, where it has fraudulently outsourced all its activity to different companies".

They have assured that these companies "impose rotation and instability among workers, even when Uber Eats continues to establish the conditions and enjoy the income derived from their work," and they have literally criticized that the affected workers are highly vulnerable.

Thus, he has filed the complaint "for the presumption of several crimes, which highlights the devising of a model for fraud and illicit profit for the company, using false self-employed workers to simulate jobs for their benefit and to the detriment of the workers."

The complainants have recalled that the National Court forced Uber Eats on December 13, 2022 to regularize 4,404 employed workers and pay them compensation for collective dismissal.

"In this agreement, Uber Eats recognizes the existence of the illegal conduct, so that, by not extending it to the rest of the workers, that is where the alleged commission of the crimes stems from," the complainants added.

On September 20 of this year, the Observatory of Work, Algorithm and Society - in collaboration with the union platform RidersxDerechos and Taxi Project 2.0 - filed a complaint against Glovo for alleged crimes against public finances, against social security, fraud and against workers' rights.

At that time they explained that it was the first criminal lawsuit that was filed against the company for supposedly hiring false freelancers.

Uber sources have explained to Europa Press that they have no evidence of the filing of the complaint and have defended that the company complies "fully with current regulations."

They have explained that after the entry into force of the Rider Law, the model has been adapted "to guarantee full control of self-employed delivery drivers over their work."

"We are committed to doing things well around the world and Spain is no exception," they noted.

Uber Eats currently has a hybrid model for delivery drivers that allows them to operate working for one of the company's subcontracted fleets or as freelancers with a platform that does not have schedules, allowing delivery drivers to choose their rate, as well as decide what they order. they want to achieve among those around them.