The GMB union has struck a “ground-breaking deal” with Hermes to ensure that the courier company’s delivery drivers have the option to receive guaranteed earnings and holiday pay.

In a collective bargaining deal hailed as a “first”, Hermes has agreed that its 15,000 couriers can elect to become “self-employed plus”, meaning that they will receive holiday pay for the first time and individually negotiated pay rates that guarantee at least £8.55 per hour and other benefits.

Unions have been campaigning for years for better employment rights for self-employed workers in the so-called “gig economy”. The growth in such temporary working in recent years has sparked a fierce debate about employment rights and led to a spate of legal challenges. Uber, the taxi app company, and