The ruling by a London employment tribunal means drivers for the ride-hailing app will be entitled to holiday pay, paid rest breaks and the national minimum wage. 

The GMB union described the decision as a "monumental victory" for some 40,000 drivers in England and Wales.



Uber said it would appeal against the ruling that it had acted unlawfully.

The San Francisco-based company had argued that its drivers were not employees but self-employed contractors.

The ruling accused Uber of "resorting in its documentation to fictions, twisted language and even brand new terminology", adding: "The notion that Uber in London is a mosaic of 30,000 small businesses linked by a common 'platform' is to our mind faintly ridiculous."

"This is a monumental victory that will have a hugely positive impact on drivers," said Maria Ludkin, legal director at the GMB, which brought the case.