Amazon could owe delivery drivers as much as £140m

Online retail giant Amazon may owe drivers as much as £140.0m, according to law firm Leigh Day.

Amazon drivers who deliver via the firm's "delivery service partners" category are classed as self-employed and, as a result, are not entitled to basic employee rights like paid holidays and minimum wage as they do not have an employment contract.

Leigh Day asserts that a minimum of 3,000 drivers are affected, and may very well be entitled to roughly of £10,500 in compensation for each year they have delivered for Amazon.

The law firm stated the drivers' work has been dictated by Amazon and believes they should be afforded more rights than they presently hold, leading it to launch a group claim on behalf of two delivery drivers as it looks for more to join the legal action.

Kate Robinson, a solicitor at the firm, said: "Amazon is short-changing drivers making deliveries on their behalf. This is disgraceful behaviour from a company that makes billions of pounds a year.

"For drivers, earning at least national minimum wage, getting holiday pay, and being under a proper employment contract could be life-changing."

Leigh Day previously represented over 2,000 Uber drivers in a landmark case against the rideshare firm, which it won.