Trade union federation FNV is taking meal delivery company Deliveroo to court for a second time, this time to demand a permanent contract for two delivery workers, and back pay.

Deliveroo decided in 2017 to restrict delivery work to freelancers which, the company said at the time, gave people more freedom to decide when and when to work.

However, in 2019, judges ruled that delivery workers were pseudo-freelancers and should be paid in line with the official pay and conditions agreement for the sector. This new court case stems from that agreement.

‘It is not just about money, it is about security,’ Debbie Berendsen, one of the two delivery workers suing the company, told broadcaster NOS. ‘The disadvantage of being a freelancer is that you are not paid if you are sick or if you had an accident.’

In addition, delivery workers are not really self-employed, FNV spokesman Joris den Ouden said. ‘They cannot negotiate fees and Deliveroo decides how they should do their jobs. This means they are not entrepreneurs but workers, because that is the choice in labour law.’

Deliveroo told the broadcaster that most of its delivery workers want the flexibility which independence brings. The company is also appealing aginst the 2019 court verdict, and that case will be heard on September 11, Deliveroo said.

Earlier this month, the head of Dutch food delivery company Just Eat Takeaway told the BBC in an interview that he plans to phase out gig working at the company and will instead offer delivery workers contracts and better workplace protection.