Thursday newspaper round-up: Uber, Facebook, Sainsbury/Asda merger, Brexit chicken
Judges have dismissed Uber’s appeal against a landmark employment tribunal ruling that its drivers should be classed as workers with access to the minimum wage and paid holidays. Master of the rolls, Sir Terence Etherton, along with Lord Justice Bean, backed an October 2016 employment tribunal ruling that could affect tens of thousands of workers in the gig economy. A third judge, Lord Justice Underhill, dissented, leading to a 2-1 majority decision. – Guardian
Cancelled trains, lengthy delays, cracked bridges and wildcat strikes by disgruntled employees – a trail of chaos in recent months has caused Deutsche Bahn (DB) to become the butt of jokes and withering complaints. Once the pride of the German state that owns it and the envy of much of the rest of the world, Germany’s national rail network is showing considerable signs of strain and decline amid accusations of chronic underinvestment in its infrastructure. – Guardian
MPs have urged UK competition authorities to investigate Facebook, after a report that millions of users' personal data and private messages had been shared with dozens of companies. The Digital Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) committee called for Facebook to explain its policy on user data and accused it of providing "misleading responses" to Parliament. – Telegraph
Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, the world’s two richest people, have invested in a Google spin-off that aims to store electricity by heating molten salt. Malta, a Massachusetts-based company, has raised $26m (£21m) from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, which counts the Amazon and Microsoft founders among its investors. – Telegraph
A survey of British suppliers has shown that 94 per cent believe that a merger between J Sainsbury and Asda will hurt their business. Some grocery suppliers even said they believed the merger presented more of a risk than a no-deal Brexit in a survey conducted by the Food and Drink Federation. The findings of the survey have formed part of the FDF’s submission to the Competition and Markets Authority, which is investigating whether the merger should go ahead. – The Times
A post-Brexit free trade agreement with the United States faces staunch opposition in Congress as Democrats threaten to reject it unless Britain lifts a ban on chlorinated chicken. Linda Sánchez, vice-chairwoman of the party’s caucus in the House of Representatives, said that she “would not hesitate to vote against” any deal which fails to address such concerns. – The Times