French court rules against Uber in 'employment' contract case

Ride-hailing giant Uber has lost an appeal in France brought by a former driver who wanted his terms of employment recognised as a fully-fledged work contract.

Fabien Masson, a lawyer for the plaintiff, hailed Thursday's ruling by the Paris Court of Appeal as a "landmark decision".

It follows a similar court decision last month in Britain that Uber should grant workers' rights, including the national minimum wage and holiday time, to its drivers.

Uber said Friday it would challenge the ruling in France's highest appeal court, La Cour de Cassation.

"Drivers choose to use the Uber application for the freedom to connect to it when they want," a spokeswoman said.

"Drivers can decide to connect in real time and without any requirement of exclusivity," she said, adding that the company was appealing the ruling so as to "preserve... this flexibility."