The High Court of Karnataka’s division bench has temporarily halted a ruling from a single judge who declared that ANI Technologies, the operator of the OLA platform, maintains an employer-employee relationship with its drivers. This classification would obligate OLA to adhere to laws protecting women from workplace sexual harassment when complaints about its drivers arise. Justices S.R. Krishna Kumar and M.G. Uma issued the stay on the company’s appeal against the September 30th decision.
The dispute originated from a case filed by a woman who suffered sexual harassment from an individual impersonating an OLA driver in 2018. The single judge had ordered OLA to compensate her ₹5 lakh, plus ₹50,000 in legal fees, noting the company’s failure to address her complaint under the PoSH Act’s provisions. OLA, represented by Senior Advocate Dhyan Chinnappa, contested the finding, arguing that drivers merely use its platform to offer services and are not employees. The ruling is significant as it addresses the accountability and classification of gig economy workers on digital platforms like OLA.
Original Story https://www.thehindu.com/business/karnataka-high-court-stays-verdict-that-ola-has-to-act-against-drivers-under-posh-act-treating-them-as-employees-of-the-company/article68716878.ece
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