French taxi drivers look to sue Uber over unfair competition

A group of French taxi drivers are looking to sue Uber for unfair competition, claiming that the US company has violated labour and tax laws and harmed their business.

The lawsuit, which involves about 2,480 taxi drivers, or eight percent of the sector, is based on a previous ruling by the court of cassation that recognised a former Uber driver as an employee, not a contractor.

The taxi drivers are seeking around 455 million euros in damages from Uber France and Uber BV. They argue that Uber has created a system of illegality and market distortion that has cost them an average of 9,300 euros per year.

According to France 24, Uber denies the allegations and says the lawsuit goes against the interest of drivers who want to remain independent. The case will be heard in Paris on Friday.

More than 35,000 VTC and taxi drivers use Uber's app to generate income. Uber has faced several legal challenges in France since it started operating in 2009, including the banning of its UberPop service.