Thousands of takeaway delivery drivers and riders will strike across London during Valentine's Day evening to demand better pay and working conditions.
The strike action comes despite a court ruling that Deliveroo riders cannot be classed as “workers” and do not have the ability to form a union.
Deliveroo rider John Rycroft, who is taking part in the strike action, told the Standard workers had seen about a 12 per cent decline in pay this year while Deliveroo profits have seen a 23 per cent profit on the stock exchange recently.
He said: “It just feels completely messed up. Unless you are getting four deliveries in an hour you are not making minimum wage.”
Another added: “It’s not just the pay but the lack of support that we get from Uber and Just Eat too. You can’t even speak to anyone at Uber for issues we may have with accounts, deliveries or payments.”
Riders have rallied against their freelance status that does not entitle them to benefits enjoyed by full-time employees. They have previously held strikes calling for pay protection.
The strike follows action on February 3 that saw orders thrown on the floor in London and Brighton as 3,000 riders refused to work.
The action on Valentine’s Day has been touted as bigger than the previous strike and has been organised by a group calling itself Delivery Job UK, although it is not an official union.
A post on Instagram, originally in Portuguese, said that drivers face “cold, rain and absurd distances” for as little as £2.80, adding “they seem to believe we deserve it”.
The post also said: "Sacrificing a few hours for our rights is essential, instead of continuing to work incessantly for insufficient wages.
"Our request is simple: we want fair compensation for the work we do. We are tired of being exploited and risking our lives every day... It's time for our voices to be heard."
The action is expected to take place in other areas of the UK and abroad.
The BBC reports in the US, drivers for Uber, Lyft and food delivery firms will stop working for two hours on Wednesday, according to Justice for App Workers, which says it represents more than 130,000 app drivers.
Deliveroo has reportedly offered drivers who do not strike a £10 bonus for completing five or more deliveries on Valentine's Day.
The company had previously announced a partnership with Ann Summers in time for February 14.
An Uber Eats spokesperson said: "We 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, and we regularly engage with couriers to look at how we can improve their experience."
A Just Eat spokesperson added: “We take the concerns of all couriers on the Just Eat network extremely seriously. Their welfare is important to us, and we welcome their feedback.“Our data shows that couriers delivering for Just Eat earn, on average, significantly over both the London and national living wage for the time they are on an order.“We provide a highly competitive base rate to self-employed couriers and have a good relationship with the vast majority of couriers across our network. In addition, we offer regular incentives to help them maximise their earnings and continue to review our pay structure regularly.”Deliveroo has also been contacted for comment.
