Why Spain’s Rider Law Finally Forced Uber Eats’ Hand

[ed]

Spain’s 2021 Rider Law introduced a presumption that app-based couriers are employees, not independent contractors, arguing that algorithmic control undermines true self-employment. While some platforms complied quickly, Uber Eats adopted a hybrid model that allowed riders to choose between freelance work and fleet employment — a compromise labor inspectors never accepted.

By December, the Ministry of Labour made its position explicit, warning that continued use of false self-employment arrangements could trigger criminal liability for executives. Faced with potential fines and prison sentences, Uber Eats opted to fully abandon the freelance model rather than risk enforcement action.

[cryptohog]

wild that criminal charges were the thing that actually made uber move