On Tuesday 26th February between 11am and 7pm, Deliveroo couriers in Manchester will be striking in protest of the company’s recent cuts to pay and the poor working conditions they endure. Riders around the UK have seen their pay cut in recent months and are increasingly being forced to deliver outside of zones for even less money. The demands of the Manchester couriers are:
- A minimum of £5 a delivery and £8 for a double order
- £10 an hour for waiting time for orders
- A minimum of £1 for every additional mile travelled
- No deliveries outside of the zone
- Allow motorbike riders equal access to orders as cyclists
With the assistance of the IWW Couriers Network and Manchester IWW, Deliveroo couriers will be taking part in their second strike this month. Up to 100 couriers in Manchester are expected to hold a loud and lively protest with the support of the IWW Manchester branch and its members, and other trade unions and organisations in the city.
On Thursday 14th, Deliveroo riders in Manchester and other cities across the UK took strike action for the above demands. In Manchester, an estimated 80% of full time Deliveroo riders were on strike. Deliveroo sent workers from their Redhill St office home before the strike took part, and refused to meet with strikers at their St Peter’s Square office.
Deliveroo riders in Manchester on strike, 14th February.
For the past two years Deliveroo couriers in the UK and around Europe have become increasingly active in their opposition to the company’s exploitative and predatory actions, with a specific focus on the pay and safety of couriers. Due to the company’s classification of couriers as “self-employed”, couriers have no employment rights or job security. The IWW Couriers Network explains this in detail:
“As it stands, cyclists, drivers, and scooter riders across the UK are delivering food with no guarantee of hitting at least the national minimum wage. We can earn as low as £2.80 per delivery, with no guarantee of making enough deliveries in an hour to earn a decent living”
“In order to earn enough to pay our basic bills, we are encouraged to work faster than is safe, and often in extreme weather conditions, and on very busy roads. We do this without sick pay, without injury pay, and without insurance policies that are fit for purpose”
Zahid, a Deliveroo rider in Manchester stated:
“We are going on strike for at least £5 a delivery to cover the cost of living, and to provide for accidents and illnesses. Deliveroo refuses to provide adequate cover for illness incurred on the job, and the money we make per delivery is decreasing at a time when inflation increases. This must change!”
Andy Nesbitt, North West Area Organiser confirms:
“Deliveroo riders in Manchester are going on strike again for better pay and conditions. The IWW union supports them in this fight. We call on Deliveroo to listen and act on these demands and to do the right thing by their riders, rather than childishly ignoring them. These riders make their company run, and their concerns deserve to be listened to.”
Contact:
manchester [at] iww [dot] org [dot] uk
@IWWManchester
https://www.facebook.com/MancIWW/
References
- https://www.facebook.com/IWWCouriersNetwork
- https://www.iww.org.uk
- https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/aug/15/deliveroo-workers-strike-again-over-new-pay-structure
- https://www.france24.com/en/20180705-paris-food-delivery-cyclists-strike-over-pay
- https://iww.org.uk/news/iww-couriers-network-why-we-strike/