Uber offers medical cover and compensation to European 'partners'

Ridesharing giant Uber has awarded its European "partners" access to medical cover and compensation for work-related injuries.

Uber, which admitted that it had previously "focused too much on growth and not enough on the people who made that growth possible", will offer its drivers new protections like sick pay, parental leave and bereavement payments.

"We called drivers 'partners', but didn't always act like it," chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi on Wednesday.

Uber's insurance and compensation package will be available to drivers that have completed at least 150 trips in the previous eight weeks, as well as Eats partner's who've completed a minimum of 30 deliveries over the same period.

However, unions were sceptical as to whether the package was new or simply a revamped version of an illness and injury insurance package announced back in April 2017 which required drivers to pay £2 a week to join.

"I'm highly suspicious - is this a revamp, is this another bite of the cherry to make themselves look caring. What's the story here?" said Steve Garelick, GMB's regional organiser for gig economy and transport.

The announcement comes just ahead of an appeal hearing at Westminster Magistrates Court on 25 June, where a judge will rule as to whether or not Transport for London should renew the firm's private hire operating licence in London after the industry body withdrew it back in September on the grounds of "public safety and security implications".

"With the expansion of the gig economy, too many Londoners still suffer from low pay, and a lack of security at work," added a spokesperson for Sadiq Khan.

"Sadiq, therefore, welcomes any commitment to give drivers and couriers in London more security through access to sick pay, and maternity and paternity pay, and the Mayor hopes it becomes the norm across the gig economy," added the Mayor's spokesperson.