Striking food delivery couriers facing £130 fines while working rally at Hackney Town Hall to demand free and safe parking

• On 10 Wednesday November at 2:30pm, striking couriers backed by Diane Abbott are staging a motorcade after being forced to move to a carpark far from the restaurant with no toilets, no shelter and that would result in pay cuts for couriers.
• From 2:30pm, workers for UberEats and Deliveroo will refuse to take orders from Dalston McDonald’s.
• Couriers, who are encouraged by delivery apps to wait near the restaurant, have faced multiple £65 parking fines collecting orders from the restaurant.
• Couriers are calling for the use of McDonald’s Abbott Street car park.

On Wednesday 10 November at 2:30pm, striking food delivery couriers part of the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) are staging a motorcade from Ashwin Street to Hackney Town Hall after being forced by restaurant management and local authorities to wait for orders in a carpark with no toilets, no shelter, and that will have a negative impact on the number of orders that couriers can collect.

Moped couriers waiting on Ashwin Street, who are encouraged by delivery apps to wait near the restaurant and risk account termination for repeated late deliveries, face harassment from police and civil enforcement officers on a daily basis. £65 parking fines are issued frequently despite riders not exceeding the 20 minute limit on the loading bays.

Off-site parking presents health and safety concerns, with gig economy couriers being prime targets for moped theft and the lack of toilets raising health and safety concerns for food delivery couriers.

Food delivery apps have boomed in popularity during the pandemic, and their workers kept restaurants afloat during the lockdowns whilst much of the population self-isolated, putting thousands more couriers onto the streets, and keeping restaurants afloat during and after the lockdowns. But courier companies and the restaurants that work with them have failed to facilitate access to the essential infrastructure couriers need to work safely like parking and toilet access.

This follows plans for the redevelopment of Ridley Road and nearby Ashwin Street Area that has received criticism from many campaigners over concerns that demographic shifts, noise complaints, and private development may push out Ridley Road's current residents and workers. Couriers feel that their needs are being neglected in favour of those of wealthier stakeholders.

As an essential part of their business, couriers are demanding that McDonald’s open its delivery yard on Abbot Street for courier parking. This is an ideal solution to reduce the noise on neighbouring Ashwin Street that has been a cause of concern for local residents and it is also an acceptable distance from restaurants and facilities.

The upcoming protest follows another protest and boycott on 17th September and a 3-day boycott on 8-10 October. The campaign has received vocal support from Diane Abbott MP.

On 4 August, couriers met with local authorities and Mcdonald’s management to find a solution to the parking issue that worked for everybody. Couriers’ concerns were dismissed and they were instructed to move to Bentley Road car park.

John, BAME officer, Couriers and Logistics Branch (IWGB), says: “In the past several years, food delivery app companies have transformed the landscape of work, putting thousands of couriers onto the streets. Yet they have not provided any kind of infrastructure to accommodate their workers, and riders have been made to bear all the responsibility for the difficulties of constantly working in public space.”

Bruno, Moped Courier, says: “It’s simple, delivery riders need a space to park and it has to be close to the majority of the restaurants. It has to be safe and specifically it has to be close to Dalston McDonald’s which is the restaurant we receive most orders from, but also doesn’t have to impact local traffic and residents.”

Abdul, Local Delivery Worker, says: “We stop in Ashwin Street to rest, it’s a public space and we should have the right to stay here like anyone else. The noise caused by riders is minimal in comparison to that coming from Kingsland Road. At the end of the day, we just want a parking space and to work hassle free.”

Michael, Local Delivery Worker, says: “Mcdonald’s should open its car park for riders. We are key workers, and without us McDonald’s would have made no money during the pandemic. We should be treated with respect.”

🔥 Justice for Riders! 🔥@RidersRooVolt are demanding free and safe parking while delivering for @McDonalds so they can:
💥 do their jobs properly and earn a living!
💥 be free from £65 parking fines and harassment!
💥 stay safe and have access to a toilet!

Share & RT! pic.twitter.com/PRmqbsAEOB

— IWGB (@IWGBunion) November 12, 2021

For more information, contact:
James Vail, Press & Communications Officer
press@iwgb.co.uk