article: After fighting the battle at a London employment tribunal, former driver and GMB union branch secretary Steve Garelick said he was "beside himself with joy". The ruling found drivers for the cab service should not be treated as self-employed and have the same working rights as other staff. And although the case focused on Uber, Mr Garelick believed it would not just be drivers who saw the benefits. "This is for anyone who works in this type of economy," said Mr Garelick. "You could be a cleaner that works through an app, but now you have the right to a quality of life. "It is so important to workers. I think what we have done here is ensure employment rights for the future. I couldn't be happier." Uber has more than 30,000 drivers across the UK who it described as "independent contractors" or self-employed. Bosses of the mobile app company, which lets customers order taxis over their smartphones, said their status did not entitle them to the benefits of employees and is to appeal against the decision of the tribunal. But the drivers said they were being treated unlawfully. The Central London Employment Tribunal ruled in the drivers favour, with the GMB union saying that outcome of the case could have "major" implications for other staff at the firm. One of the drivers who took the case up in court was James Farrar. Averaging just Â£5.03 an hour when working over the summer, the London driver said his finances were "really starting to bite" without the security of employed workers' rights. Speaking to the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire show before the ruling Mr Farrar said: "If you want to cover your costs and keep the family afloat, you have got to work a lot of hours with Uber. "You can turn on the app and work whenever you want. You can stop whenever you want and go home. The only problem is that if you are not working, you are not earning, and the earnings are so much lower than I expected. "It's well below minimum wage." Khaled Mohamed-Hadg, who drives for Uber in London, said he will be following Mr Farrar's suit and taking up his case with the GMB as well. "I am very happy with this decision," he said. "It is very important, because we are happy to play our part in helping the economy, but we want to be treated fairly and paid fairly. "If you drive so much because you earn so little, if its bad for your health. I know people who drive 12 or 15 hours a day to make the money and don't even make minimum wage, so this could make all the difference to them. This summer, two Uber drivers took the company to an employment tribunal with the help of the GMB Union. James Farrar and Yaseen Aslam argued that they were "employed" by Uber, which under employment law would entitle them to certain rights, including sick and holiday pay. But the company insists it was simply a technology platform that links supply
summary: Campaigners have hailed a landmark ruling giving Uber drivers the right to the minimum wage, paid holiday and sick leave.