Boycott Addison Lee

Just FYI - all of these are completely standard practice for pretty much ALL minicab firms as well as many other businesses.

Obviously I feel bad for anyone who is forced to take an AL job without what you might consider "normal" benefits but that is the problem with a weak economy. You have far more demand for jobs than supply so an employer can offer a worse deal to his employees (or not even employ them as in this case!).

This has been the standard business model for courier / PHC since year zero, it has nothing to do with a strong or weak economy.

Having worked within the sector for my whole adult life, more or less, my own opinion is that the arrangement is wholly iniquitous. Griffin didn't invent the model, his company is merely the leading practitioner in London. AL lease the car to the driver, and in leasing it, are able not only to avoid some, if not most, of the cost of the vehicle, and also avoid contracting the 'self-employed subcontractor' as a full-time employee, despite effectively being able to dictate when, where, how & even what the driver wears to work.