Re: One network?
Uber is effectively the employment agent, arranging contact between a contractor and their customer in return for a commission, says I. In that regard then, no different to any other middleman situation.
This is how I read it, too.
Many who do contracting in the UK work through employment agencies. The agent finds you a contract, and often provides several other services (collecting the money on your behalf, negotiating contracts etc.). They take a commission for doing so.
This is exactly what Uber do. They advertise your services, find you a customer, pass that customer on to you, and collect the money for you. They are providing a set of services to you, in return for payment.
I guess it depends on exactly how the contracts are formed. If the contract is legally between the customer and driver, with the driver having a separate contract for services with Uber, then Uber are effectively an agency. If the contract is between the customer and Uber (which I expect most customers would assume), then they could easily be classed as employees. This will be the point which will likely be played out in the courts.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
