
DELIVEROO drivers went on strike today against low pay and terrible conditions.
The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) members walked out alongside non-unionised fellow workers in a mobile protest across London and other cities.
Workers marched and drove slowly through central London alongside their supporters and other trade unionists.
After demonstrating through central London, the crowd headed to Uber’s HQ in Islington, north London, where they staged a noisy protest waving red flags and union banners.
Protests by workers were also held in Bristol, Birmingham and other cities.
The workers say that they are frustrated with decreasing pay and worsening working conditions that mean they could be sacked at any minute.
The pay algorithms generated by the company are “opaque,” according to the union, and workers do not have the system explained to them by the company.
In recent weeks, their rate of pay has been significantly dropping. As a result, the strikers’ demands are a wage of £5 per delivery, and higher pay per distance of £1 for every extra mile they drive.
They also want to be paid for waiting times outside restaurants and customers’ addresses at the rate of approximately 17p per minute, and are demanding an end to Deliveroo workers’ accounts being “terminated” without due process or adequate evidence.
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.”
Dom, another Deliveroo worker, 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.”
Deliveroo had not responded to requests for comment at the time of going to press.
