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Deliveroo and Uber Eats drivers to strike on Valentine’s Day
https://www.whatjobs.com/news/united-kingdom/uk-employment-news/deliveroo-and-uber-eats-drivers-to-strike-on-valentines-day
By Nithya Bose in Business News, posted February 13, 2024
Thousands of Deliveroo and Uber Eats drivers are planning to strike on Valentine's Day for better pay and improved conditions.
The grassroots group, Delivery Job UK, organised the walkout.
The action is to couriers’ challenges, including what they describe as exploitative pay rates and unsafe working environments.
Around 3,000 drivers and riders will participate by halting their services across the UK during peak hours from 17:00 to 22:00 GMT.
Delivery Job UK said: "Sacrificing a few hours for our rights is essential, instead of continuing to work incessantly for insufficient wages.
"Our request is simple: we want fair compensation for the work we do.
“We are tired of being exploited and risking our lives every day... It's time for our voices to be heard."
Uber, Lyft, and other delivery service drivers plan similar actions in the US.
They would stop work for two hours to protest against poor working conditions and pay.
Couriers have criticised the payment structure of these platforms.
Some report earnings as low as £2.80 to £3.15 per delivery, significantly below what they consider a fair rate.
They call for a minimum fee increase to at least £5 per delivery, pointing out that recent fee reductions have severely impacted their earnings potential.
The workers' grievances also extend to safety concerns, highlighting the risks of violence they face, particularly during evening hours.
The isolation of the job and the reliance on sophisticated algorithms that determine their pay have further exacerbated their situation.
According to some experts, it led to a real-term wage decrease of about 40 percent since 2018.
In a statement, Deliveroo said it offered its riders self-employed, flexible work alongside protections.
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The company said: "Riders always earn at least the national living wage, plus vehicle costs, for the time they are working with us, though the vast majority earn far more than this.
"Riders are also automatically insured for free, covering them if they are in an accident or injured while working and receive income protection if they are unwell and cannot work."
Uber Eats said it provided a "flexible way" for couriers to earn by using its "when and where they choose" app.
It said: "We know that the vast majority of couriers are satisfied with their experience on the app, and we regularly engage with couriers to look at how we can improve their experience."
Just Eat said it offered "a highly competitive base rate to self-employed couriers and also offer regular incentives to help them maximise their earnings".
It added: "We continue to review our pay structure regularly and welcome any feedback from couriers."
Stuart.com said it was "committed to providing competitive earnings opportunities for courier partners".
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