TAKEAWAY delivery drivers in Colchester have threatened further strikes throughout this afternoon and into the evening unless their demands are met by midday.

Just Eat, Uber Eats, and Deliveroo workers serving households throughout the borough are holding their employers to ransom in a bid to evoke urgent change.

They are calling on the fast-food juggernauts to increase their wages in line with the rate of inflation and soaring petrol prices and to stop over-saturating the workforce.

The activists, who plan to protest today, also want to highlight the lengthy waits they endure at peak times, which have an impact on the number of orders they can fulfil.

Gazette:

A spokesman for the protest said: “All of the above is making us earn less than the minimum wage and most of us are struggling.

“With all the prices going up it has become very difficult to make a decent income, so we are asking all the companies to work together with us towards a solution.

“If no contact or any changes happen, we will strike again from 12pm until midnight, but we are hoping for a decent solution.”

The latest threat comes after as many as 70 fast-food delivery drivers downed tools on Monday, with at least 30 protesting outside Cowdray Avenue McDonald’s.

One of those was Andrei Lates, 24, who has worked for both Just Eat and Deliveroo since just before the first national lockdown.

He added: “The managers from McDonald’s have contacted Just Eat and Uber Eats for an immediate solution - if there isn’t one, we will 100 per cent being going ahead.”

Responding previously, a spokeswoman for Just Eat reassured delivery drivers in Colchester bosses take their concerns seriously.

She said: “We take any concerns raised by our couriers seriously and will continue to engage constructively with them.

“Our delivery payment model has been designed to give couriers the flexibility to deliver when they choose.

“We continue to offer a competitive base rate to self-employed couriers and pay is reviewed regularly. Just Eat is not currently on-boarding couriers in Colchester."

READ MORE: Colchester's Just Eat and Deliveroo delivery drivers strike

An Uber Eats spokesman added: "Uber Eats offer a flexible way for couriers to earn by using the app when and where they choose.

"We know that the vast majority of couriers are satisfied with their experience on the app, however we regularly engage with couriers to look at how we can improve their experience."

 

A Deliveroo spokewoman said: “Deliveroo is proud to offer well-paid, flexible work to more than 50,000 self-employed riders across the UK. Our way of working is designed around what riders tell us matters to them most - flexibility.

"Riders in the UK are paid for each delivery they choose to complete and always earn more than the national minimum wage while working with us.

"In most cases riders earn significantly more than this - in fact on average riders earn almost double the national minimum wage while on an order.

“Deliveroo was amongst the first food delivery companies to provide free personal accident and third party liability insurance to all self-employed riders.

"We are always looking for new ways to support riders and we recently extended this free insurance to provide riders with enhanced protection, including earnings support for riders who are ill and a one-off lump sum payment following the birth or adoption of a child.

"We also have a dedicated rider team in place who are on hand to help riders with any concerns they have and make sure they feel supported at all times.”