Deliveroo riders in strike action in London and other cities against low pay

• Deliveroo workers in strike action against low pay in London and other cities
• Drivers demand higher pay for deliveries and waiting times, as well as an end to unfair dismissals
• London protest will be a mobile action, travelling across London throughout the day

1 February: Members of the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) working as ‘riders’ for Deliveroo in London will be taking strike action on 1st February. They will be striking alongside their non-unionised colleagues, who spread the call for action via WhatsApp.

Protests are expected around Islington and the rest of London, with Deliveroo drivers planning a mobile protest around London throughout the day.

Inspired by recent strikes carried out by the Bristol Couriers Network, which voted to affiliate with the IWGB's Couriers and Logistics Branch on 23rd January, drivers are also expected to take action in a number of other cities across the UK.

Deliveroo’s opaque algorithm means workers know very little about their pay, which has recently decreased, and its structure. Drivers are increasingly having to travel longer distances for the same amount of money, and travel average or short distances for less money than before. Other issues include a lack of payment for delays at a restaurant or at a customer’s address.

Among demands for higher pay and greater transparency within the app, Deliveroo riders are calling for an end to unfair dismissals. It is common for Deliveroo to terminate a driver’s service agreement without providing any evidence for alleged wrongdoings, leaving drivers out of a job with little to no notice.

• IWGB members in London agreed on the following demands:
• Minimum £5 per delivery and higher pay per distance of £1 extra per mile
• Paid waiting times at restaurants and customer addresses, at 17p per minute (equivalent of £10 an hour)
• No riders are ever terminated on any grounds without due process and adequate evidence. A minimum notice period of a month at the beginning of which a reason and adequate evidence must be given, and a right to appeal
• Kit equality for riders such that new riders continue to receive kit for free, and riders who paid for kit receive new kit if they so wish as well as their deposit back
• No victimisation for riders taking action

Dom, a Deliveroo worker and IWGB official, said:

“*Across the country riders are all experiencing the same problems like lower order fees and long waits at restaurants. These issues have been repeatedly raised with Deliveroo but our members recognise the only way to get improvements is to act collectively. It's been too easy for the company to ignore us individually.*”

Afzal, A Deliveroo driver from London and elected IWGB official, said:

“I am going to strike because I want to demand my rights. Deliveroo classify us as Independent contractors but really, they are just exploiting people. There is no transparency between Deliveroo and their riders, we don’t even know how our delivery fees are calculated, all we know is that the distances are getting longer and the pay is getting smaller”

-ENDS-

For more information:

Tom Harrington, Secretary of the IWGB’s Couriers and Logistics Branch tomharrington@iwgb.co.uk