Over 30 drivers working for the food delivering company Deliveroo protested in the Oxford city centre this morning. Their demands involved higher compensation and better working conditions.
The protest took the form of slow driving on the city centreās major roads, including George Street, St Giles, Woodstock Road and Banbury Road, with drivers repeatedly honking their horns.
Deliveroo drivers are self-employed and paid per task, often meaning they have to work long hours to make a living.
Protesters affirmed that they are āunsatisfiedā with their working conditions, which they find āembarrassingā. Many chose to remain anonymous, over fear of repercussions and potential account closures.
These working conditions disproportionately affect people from international communities and lower socio-economic backgrounds.
Their demands included a pay raise per delivery from Ā£3.15 to Ā£4.50 for motorbikes and Ā£2.90 to Ā£3.50 for bicycles, that waiting time in restaurants was paid, that deliveries after midnight as well as when it is raining or snowing were paid extra, and that the extra mileage was paid when the address was changed during the delivery.
There was a possible impact on delivery times around lunchtime, but quite limited as the protest dispersed before noon.
Deliveroo drivers have previously gone on strike in London outside the HQ in 2021, organised by the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain. They took this action in opposition to gig economy employment practices.
Image Credit: Gaspard Rouffin
