The Paris court imposed, on Tuesday April 19, a fine of 375,000 euros, the maximum provided for, on Deliveroo France judged for "concealed work", during a first criminal trial in France of "uberization" with as the true status of its deliverers is at stake.

The court followed in full the requisitions of the prosecution which during the trial, last month, had requested the maximum penalty of 375,000 euros in fines against the platform, as well as a one-year suspended prison sentence against against two of the three ex-directors prosecuted, Hugues Decosse and Adrien Falcon.

In addition to the suspended prison sentence, they are each sentenced to a fine of 30,000 euros.

The third, Elie de Moustier, was given a four-month suspended prison sentence.

Deliveroo plans to appeal

The company and its managers were accused of having illegally employed their delivery men as self-employed workers when they should have employee status.

"The offense of concealed work" is established, said the president of the 31st chamber of the judicial court announcing the decision.

A Deliveroo spokesperson said the platform was "considering" an appeal.

Deliveroo was also ordered to pay 50,000 euros in damages to each of the five unions (CGT, Union Solidaires, Sud commerces et services, Sud commerces et services Île-de-France and Syndicat des transports Légères) which had brought as civil parties for "moral damage".

This court decision will have to be displayed, in particular in front of the premises of Deliveroo for a month, specified the court.

Deliveroo is responsible for "an instrumentalization and misuse of labor regulations", with the aim of organizing a "systemic concealment" of jobs for delivery people who should have been salaried and not self-employed, had estimated during the trial prosecutor Céline Ducournau, whose opinion was confirmed by the court.

The "fraud" put in place had the sole purpose of employing its delivery people "at a lower cost", and it does not matter if some are "satisfied" with this status or "feel free", indicated Céline Ducournau.

This is the first trial of its kind in France against the "uberization" of labor relations.

The facts judged took place between 2015 and 2017. 

With AFP and Reuters

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