On 28th September 2019, drivers of Deliveroo decided to strike. This began at 5pm outside of Exeter Central until 11pm. A reason for this was due to the fact that drivers were being paid less than £1 per delivery, according to Devon Live.
As Alex, a full time Deliveroo driver, had mentioned, this did not cover the utility costs, and consequently the drivers were being faced with losses. When this was brought up to the company before the strike, the response was that £1.50 would be paid for the deliveries taking place between 7 and 9 pm. According to him this was inadequate and not permanent pay.
After the strike took place Deliveroo had the following to say: “Deliveroo is proud to offer flexible, well-paid work to over 25,000 self-employed riders in the UK, who enjoy well-paid, flexible work.”
There have been a number of reforms implemented. Some of these include: “riders are now getting higher fees for the longer distance deliveries they make;” “more payments for medium and long distance deliveries” and “rewarding those who travel furthest.”
Drivers were being paid less than £1 per delivery… and consequently the drivers were being faced with losses
They also painted a positive picture in terms of flexible work: “Riders can choose when and where to work, and whether to accept an order.”
The strike had also lead to an increase in importance for the job security of its drivers, this can be seen in the quote: “Deliveroo wants to give riders security. That is why Deliveroo was the first company in the on-demand economy to offer riders free accident insurance for all riders.”
Overall, the strike brought attention to the problems that drivers were facing, and the company seems to be making positive reforms.
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Editor: Pete Syme
