News / Strike
Deliveroo and Uber Eats staff to strike in Bristol
Food delivery couriers for two major companies are set to stage a strike in Bristol city centre over pay and working conditions.
Cyclists and riders from Uber Eats and Deliveroo will stand in solidarity with staff from outlets around the country, including Wetherspoons, McDonalds and TGI Fridays, as part of a national day of direct action.
The strike marks a turning point in the fight against a “business model that pits workers against each other in a desperate bid to make ends meet” according to independent union IWW (Industrial Workers of the World), which is backing the workers.
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The couriers are due to convene at McDonald’s in Broadmead on Thursday evening, and will log out of their delivery apps and stop working between 6pm and 8pm. They are calling on customers and restaurants to support them and not order food or take orders during the strike – once the strike begins there will likely be big delays on deliveries.
A Bristol courier, who preferred to remain anonymous, said: “As riders we’re kept in the dark as to how our pay is actually calculated.
“They talk about paying above minimum wage, but the reality is a lot of couriers make less in a shift, because there aren’t enough orders, there are too many other riders being hired, and the travel distances increase with no or little rise in pay.
“They’ve been cutting pay and changing our conditions without consulting us for ages and we’ve had enough.
“At the end of the day, these companies are worth billions of pounds. But without us, they’re just apps. We do the dangerous and insecure work that generates their profits and all we’re asking for is fairer pay so we can afford to get by.”
UberEats defended its pay scheme, arguing that the majority of its couriers used delivery work to supplement existing incomes.
In a statement to the BBC, the company said: “Last week, couriers using our app in cities across the UK took home an average of £9-10 per hour during mealtimes, with many also using other delivery apps.”
A spokesperson for IWW said: “Couriers in Bristol going on strike are joining their colleagues across the UK.
“For too long companies like Deliveroo and Uber have relied on a business model that pits workers against each other in a desperate bid to make ends meet. Today marks the turning point, couriers are uniting, standing together and taking the fight back to them. Deliveroo and Uber be warned – this is just the start.”
Bristol24/7 contacted Deliveroo and Uber Eats for comment.
Read more: Video: Deliveroo cyclists campaign for better working conditions
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