Uber's business model under attack in California but drivers remain pessimistic

'The company is rich and the drivers go back home with empty pockets' says one 'freelance' operator as commission rules drivers are employees, not contractors

Shifera Sahilu thought Uber would be his passport to a better life in America. Instead, he said, the ride-sharing company almost ruined him.

The fast-growing tech company has built a global business promising new sources of revenue for "freelance" drivers like Sahilu. This week, in a major blow to the company, a court questioned exactly how freelance those drivers are. Uber's critics cheered the decision. Sahilu is not so sure it will make a difference.