The Supreme Court found that Deliveroo’s meal distributors were irrevocably covered by the collective labor agreement for professional freight transport. In addition, the company must retroactively pay pensions to delivery drivers.

The ruling is the latest part in a long legal battle between Deliveroo and FNV, over the question of whether a meal deliverer is a self-employed person or an employee. The judge has now ruled in favor of the union again in the appeal.

Deliveroo started its delivery service in the Netherlands in 2015, but is no longer active. She left the company last year, before the Supreme Court heard the case.

The company’s 9,000 meal delivery employees were offered a compensation plan. If they agree, they will not be able to seek a refund from the company. According to Deliveroo, 90 percent of employees have benefited from the scheme.

In the other suit, the judge ruled today that Deliveroo also wrongly failed to pay employee pensions for six months. The amount that the company must pay to Pensioenfonds Vervoer is approximately 640,000 euros.

FNV is currently conducting similar lawsuits against the Temper and Uber platforms. “We also believe that Uber Eats must adjust its business model in response to this ruling,” says Anja Diekmann, Director of FNV.

“We want implementation, because this type of company cannot continue in the same way in this country.”