- Weather may delay launch of mission to study deflected asteroid
- China to flesh out economic stimulus plans after bumper rally
- Artist Marina Abramovic hopes first China show offers tech respite
- Asian markets track Wall St rally on US jobs data
- Pakistan 122-1 at lunch in first England Test
- Kazakhs approve plan for first nuclear power plant
- World marks anniversary of Oct. 7 attack on Israel
- 'Second family': tennis stars hunt winning formula with new coaches
- Philippines, South Korea agree to deepen maritime cooperation
- Mexico mayor murdered days after taking office
- Sardinia's sheep farmers battle bluetongue as climate warms
- Japan govt admits doctoring 'untidy' cabinet photo
- Israel marks first anniversary of Hamas's October 7 attack
- Darvish tames Ohtani as Padres thrash Dodgers
- Asian markets track Wall St rally on jobs data
- Family affair as LeBron, Bronny James make Lakers bow
- Cancer, cardiovascular drugs tipped for Nobel as prize week opens
- As Great Salt Lake dries, Utah Republicans pardon Trump climate skepticism
- Amazon activist warns of 'critical situation' ahead of UN forum
- Mourners pay tribute to latest victims of deadly Channel crossing
- Tunisia incumbent Saied set to win presidential vote: exit polls
- Phillies win thriller to level Mets series
- Yu bags first PGA Tour win with playoff win
- PSG held by Nice to leave Monaco clear at top of Ligue 1
- AC Milan fall at Fiorentina after De Gea's penalty heroics
- Lewandowski treble for leaders Barca as Atletico held
- Fresh Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Sucic stunner earns Real Sociedad draw against Atletico
- PSG draw with Nice, fail to reclaim top spot in Ligue 1
- Gudmundsson downs AC Milan after De Gea's penalty heroics for Fiorentina
- 'Yes' vote prevails in Kazakhstan nuclear plant vote: TV
- 'Difficult day': Oct 7 commemorations begin with festival memorial
- Commemorations begin for anniversary of attack on Israel
- Lewandowski hat-trick powers Liga leaders Barca to Alaves victory
- 'Nothing gets in way of team,' says Celtics' MVP hopeful Tatum
- India maintain Pakistan stranglehold as Windies cruise at Women's T20 World Cup
- 'We will win!': Mozambique's ruling party confident at final vote rally
- Tunisia voting ends as Saied eyes re-election with critics behind bars
- Florida braces for Milton, FEMA head slams 'dangerous' Helene misinformation
- Postecoglou slams 'unacceptable' Spurs after 'terrible' loss at Brighton
- Marmoush double denies Bayern outright Bundesliga top spot
- Rallies worldwide call for Gaza, Lebanon ceasefire
- Maresca hails Chelsea's 'fighting' spirit after draw with 10-man Forest
- New 'Joker' film, a dark musical, tops N.America box office
- Man Utd stalemate keeps Ten Hag in danger, Spurs rocked by Brighton
- Drowned by hurricane, remote N.Carolina towns now struggle for water
- Vikings hold off Jets in London to stay unbeaten
- Ahead of attack anniversary, Netanyahu says: 'We will win'
- West Indies cruise to T20 World Cup win over Scotland
- Arshdeep, Chakravarthy help India hammer Bangladesh in T20 opener
French court fines Deliveroo for 'undeclared labour'
A Paris court on Tuesday handed the food delivery group Deliveroo a fine of 375,000 euros ($405,000) after finding it guilty of "undeclared labour" by using freelance delivery riders who should have been considered employees.
It was the latest move by courts to recognise the rights of "gig economy" workers who are often classified as independent contractors by start-ups and other firms, and thus ineligible for health insurance and other benefits.
The court ordered the maximum fine sought by prosecutors and also handed suspended one-year prison sentences to two former French executives at the Britain-based Deliveroo.
A third executive got a suspended four-month sentence and a 10,000 euro fine for complicity in the system, and Deliveroo was ordered to pay 50,000 euros each in damages to five labour unions who joined the case as plaintiffs.
State prosecutor Celine Ducournau also sought in vain to question Deliveroo's American founder and CEO Will Shu over a "fraud" that gave "all the benefits to the employer... without any of the inconveniences."
Over 100 Deliveroo riders were plaintiffs in the case prosecutors opened in 2015 but which got fresh impetus in 2020, when France's URSSAF agency in charge of employer social security collections demanded millions of euros in back payments.
Several riders told the court they had sought jobs that offered "flexibility" in terms of scheduling, only to find intense pressure to work at peak meal times, strict oversight of their routes and days off, and penalties if orders weren't delivered fast enough.
Deliveroo France had already been convicted of undeclared labour in a civil case in February 2000, when a labour court sided with a rider seeking to be recognised as an employee and not a contractor.
URSSAF is seeking to recover some 9.7 million euros from Deliveroo, and a court had already ordered in 2020 the seizure of three million euros in Deliveroo's account while the case was ongoing.
A Deliveroo spokesman said after the verdict that the company was "considering" an appeal.
O.Karlsson--AMWN