
Riding for Deliveroo
by Callum Cant
(Polity, £14.99)
INTRIGUED by the news of the first Deliveroo workers’ strikes in 2016, Callum Cant decided to conduct a “workers’ inquiry” by signing up to be a cycle courier for the increasingly popular food platform.
Riding for Deliveroo describes his experiences over the course of eight months, taking in the nature of the work, the ruthless and sophisticated methods of exploitation and the workers’ response to it.
[[{"fid":"16118","view_mode":"inlineright","fields":{"format":"inlineright","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"2":{"format":"inlineright","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}},"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-inlineright","data-delta":"2"}}]]Cant describes how Deliveroo is constantly tweaking its process so as to ensure its wage bill is as low as possible. When it starts up in a given city, it will typically offer a reasonable hourly rate in order to attract couriers. Then, once it has a surplus labour force, it will move to a per-delivery piece-work system in order to intensify the work in busy periods and reduce costs in quiet ones.



