Spanish court rules Amazon 'Flex' couriers were falsely self-employed

FILE PHOTO: A worker installs a new Amazon locker inside a public parking in Ronda, Spain, June 7, 2022. REUTERS/Jon Nazca/File Photo

MADRID (Reuters) - A Spanish court has ruled that Amazon must compensate self-employed couriers who used their own vehicles for deliveries, a move welcomed by a labour union that has criticised worker conditions in the "gig economy".

The Madrid labour court said in Thursday's ruling the tech giant would have to pay Social Security contributions for the 2,166 people it hired under the guise of external contractors within the now-defunct "Amazon Flex" scheme and recognise them as regular staff during the periods they made deliveries.