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Gig companies in the country
- Supermarket chain the Co-op has partnered with Just Eat Takeaway to offer home delivery for groceries nationwide.
- Uber Eats users will be able to order from Zapp stores on the app for delivery “within as little as 20 minutes” by Uber Eats couriers.
- Amazon is investing £300m to add thousands more electric lorries, vans, and cargo bikes to its sprawling fleet of delivery vehicles across the UK.
Did you know?
- 7.25 million people are estimated to work in the UK's Gig Economy by the end of 2022
- Women earn an average of 10% less than men in the gig economy.
- 71.5%: Gig Workers for whom the gig economy represents less than half of their earnings
(Source: StandOutCV)
How do the unions and workers' groups support the gig workers?
- Organizing events, strikes, or advocacy campaigns to demand rights and better working conditions - IWGB & ADCU
- Fighting for fair payment terms and conditions, a decent work life - GMB Union
- Changing the conditions of labor relations in the industry to ultimately enable a better service for the public - IWW Couriers Network
- Sharing hacks and tips, events, partnerships, and discounts - Deliveroo & Uber Riders Facebook Groups
- Pedal me - 9/10
- Getir - 8/10
- Gorillas - 7/10
- Amazon Flex - 4/10
- Pedal me - 2/2
- Getir - 2/2
- Gorillas - 2/2
- Amazon Flex - 0/2
Labor rights
- Gig workers cannot access fundamental labor rights: the labor laws classify them as self-employed workers. Therefore, they are not entitled to a written statement of terms, statutory holidays, or rest breaks. There is no minimum wage, either.
- The law only protects gig workers from being discriminated against in the workplace. It includes limited protection against discrimination and less ability to be collectively represented.
- Theresa May’s government commissioned an independent review of the employment regulations framework.
- The Review only recommended minor amendments to the current legislation.
Court cases
Platform: Uber
Party Involved: Aslam and Others
Ruling Date: December 12, 2018
Case Subject: Uber driver-partners filed a case against the platform demanding their right to holiday pay and minimum wage.
The UK Supreme Court has dismissed Uber’s appeal against a landmark employment tribunal ruling that its drivers should be classed as workers with access to the minimum wage and paid holidays.
So how can the companies improve the gig economy?
Case studies
- E-Courier: GPS tracks courier positions, and an intelligent dispatch system assigns orders via GPRS, improving efficiency in a traditional industry.
- During the pandemic, Uber introduced an opportunity for their taxi drivers to export a ".pdf" with their work performance: average rating of the last 500 trips, top 5 compliments, skills needed for taxi driving, and the total amount of trips.
Issued raised by workers
- The ADCU union staged a 24-hour strike in response to the Uber files leak.
- Delivery drivers across Bradford went on strike to protest against what they claim are lower pay rates.
- Hundreds of Uber Eats, Just Eat, and Deliveroo delivery drivers and couriers set to strike over pay.
- Uber workers in Leicester protested against the taxi app's pricing scheme.
- Food delivery workers for Deliveroo, Uber Eats, and Just Eat staged a two-day strike in Cardiff over a pay dispute.
- Drivers working for Bolt sought compensation for missed holidays and minimum wage payments.
Copyright - WageIndicator March 2023 (data collected between October 2022 and January 2023)