UK Deliveroo riders strike over pay, gig work conditions
Riders for the app-based meal delivery platform Deliveroo held a strike in London Wednesday over pay and working conditions, part of a broader backlash against one of the UK’s biggest gig economy companies.
Scooter and bicycle delivery riders waving flags and red smoke flares rode through the streets of Central London. Socially distanced protests were also planned in York, Reading,
Sheffield and Wolverhampton to demand fair pay, safety protections and basic workers’ rights.
The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain, which represents migrant and gig workers, expected hundreds of riders to take part.
Deliveroo said that “this small self-appointed union does not represent the vast majority of riders who tell us they value the total flexibility they enjoy.”
Rider surveys found most are happy with the company and flexibility was their priority, the company said in a statement.
The strike coincides with the first day of unconditional share trading for Deliveroo, which went public last week in a multibillion pound stock offering that was one of Europe’s most hotly anticipated IPOs this year. However, a number of institutional investors skipped the initial public offering, citing concerns about employment conditions for riders and a dualclass shareholder structure that gives founder Will Shu outsize control.
The company, which operates in a dozen countries in Europe, the Mideast and Asia, saw its business boom over the past year because of COVID-19 restrictions that powered demand for meal deliveries. (AP)