Aberdeen riders to lead the way on strike action

Pay: Couriers claim say some earn just £4 an hour

WAGES WOES: An unnamed Aberdeen courier who is frustrated by policy changes. Fast food bike couriers in Aberdeen plan to lead the way in a nationwide strike amid claims they have been left earning less than minimum wage.

Some Deliveroo employees claim pay packets have taken a hit after the company put new rules in place requiring couriers to make one delivery per hour while on shift.

An anonymous rider said that some were now earning less than £4 per hour. The minimum wage for people aged 18-20 in Scotland is £6.15 and £8.21 for those older than 25.

The cyclist said: “Some of us are making less than £4 an hour with these new quotas.

“Deliveroo said we can earn more if we travel further but when you factor in travel times and the time you have to wait for the food, it doesn’t add up.”

Riders who have shared their concerns with The Press and Journal wished to remain anonymous for fear of losing their job.

But last night a Deliveroo spokeswoman denied the claims, insisting that couriers in Aberdeen were earning more than £10 an hour on average.

At a recent mass meeting in the city, riders aired their frustrations at increased competition for jobs based on what kind of vehicle they use and the newly imposed hourly quotas.

Bike couriers were once able to pre-book shifts but have found scooter and car users are being given priority for the most lucrative slots.

It has left many struggling to make ends meet as they earn a fraction of what they once did.

Another said: “No one is looking out for us, we need to unionise because we are being taken advantage of.

“I have bills to pay before I even start delivering, like insurance for my scooter costing around £1,500 a year, and then I have fuel to think about.

“This is all before I’ve made any money and now competition is even higher.”

A Deliveroo spokeswoman defended the recent changes.

She said: “Under the new system, riders across Scotland have been making more than £10 an hour on average – well above the national minimum wage.

“In Aberdeen, the average hourly fee is more than £10 an hour.”

Since it launched in the city, more than 70 restaurants have signed up to Deliveroo, which has created work for more than 100 people.

Members at the meeting said the nationwide protest could happen within a month.

Photograph by Scott Baxter