Six Uber drivers were successfully prosecuted and fined in Copenhagen on 8 July for illegally offering a taxi service without a licence. They had claimed they were car-pooling.
The drivers are expected to appeal with Uber's backing.
Jan Villadsen, from ITF union 3F, said: "The verdict is clear. In Danish law the Uber business-model is illegal. After this case 40 Danish Uber drivers are in line to get fined immediately, and we expect the Danish police to stop and investigate more Uber drivers in the coming months."
Local or national governments in almost 50% of the countries where Uber claims to operate – including France, Germany and the Netherlands – have said ‘no’ to Uber in one way or another.”
Last month the New York Taxi Workers’ Alliance, an ITF union, filed a lawsuit on behalf of 5,000 Uber drivers. It accuses Uber of depriving the drivers of various employment rights by misclassifying them as independent contractors.
Mac Urata, ITF inland transport secretary, commented that it is time that Uber was classified as a taxi company across the world to make things clear and safe for taxi drivers, Uber drivers and passengers.
