Assembling in Central Oxford last Friday, around 30 Deliveroo delivery drivers took to the roads to demand better pay and working conditions. A demonstration also took place outside the Carfax Tower. The drivers turned off notifications for incoming pick-up requests and drove slowly in order to cause maximum disruption.
In April of 2021, through the red smoke of their flares, Deliveroo drivers made similar demands outside the company’s London headquarters. Apart from raising public awareness around the few protections for food delivery drivers, these protests were largely unsuccessful.
The primary demand of the riders is a pay raise. Amidst the cost-of-living crisis, the strikers have emphasized that Oxford is an expensive city. Since the pandemic, Deliveroo fees have decreased while costs to riders have increased. Labeled as self-employed, couriers must pay for their own fuel, bikes, motorcycles, helmets, backpacks, and any other supplies needed to safely complete deliveries.
The strikers have multiple further longstanding demands, including extra compensation for long waiting times in restaurants, rough weather, late night deliveries, and mid-route changes to delivery addresses. Their demands reflect the de-prioritisation of riders in Deliveroo’s current system. The strikers want protection, and some are calling for government regulation of the food delivery industry.
Hailing from a variety of international backgrounds, the strikers came together to plan the strike over a two-week period under the leadership of Deliveroo rider Nelson Martins from Timor-Leste. Many of the riders, including Martins, have been with the company for several years. Couriers from Just Eat and Uber Eats accompanied the strikers, making similar demands of their own companies.
Many of the riders who spoke to the press chose to remain anonymous. One said “[W]e are scared of getting our names out because Deliveroo might close our accounts.” The riders say that, in the past, those who spoke up or complained to the company about unfair pay saw their accounts terminated.
The drivers are not direct employees of the delivery companies and so there is little regulatory protection for their position. In the past, protests of a similar nature have had limited success.
Deliveroo told BBC that in most cases drivers earned “significantly more” than “the National Living Wage plus costs” and Just Eat said its drivers were provided “regular incentives” to earn more. There is a significant disconnect between the perspectives of the drivers and their respective companies.
