The well-known courier company Deliveroo has seen plenty of criticism recently from MPs for some of the clauses in its contracts with the 15,000 self-employed riders that work for the company.
The pressure has paid off, and now Deliveroo has made some concessions and altered the contracts for its delivery riders.
Controversial Clause
The most controversial clause surrounded the requirement for couriers to be unable to challenge their status of being self-employed in an employment tribunal. Following vocal criticism from MPs on the Work and Pensions select committee, Deliveroo has revised the contracts and altered various clauses.
The updated contract is just four pages long, removing lots of unnecessary or unfair elements. The new version allows its couriers to work for another company concurrently, and now there is no requirement for a Deliveroo driver to give a fortnight’s notice should they wish to terminate their agreement.
Message to All Staff
The updates were communicated to all drivers in a letter from the UK Managing Director, who acknowledged that Deliveroo riders should be free as independent contractors to work for other companies, and even for competitors. The letter also stated that drivers need not wear a branded Deliveroo uniform while working for the company, provided that what they do wear is safe for the rider and makes them adequately visible to other traffic.
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Flexibility and Security
The simplified contract does make things easier for people to work with Deliveroo, and it gives anyone the chance to do as much or as little work as they want. They can fit in the delivery gigs around other commitments, such as family or other work.
For more information on the rights of delivery drivers in the UK, see the Unite website for help and advice.
There is still some work to go in the eyes of some, however, including the IWGB trade union, who would like to see further steps taken for those that do not want to see themselves as independent contractors and would rather be employed and benefit from the basic rights of employees, such as sick pay, holiday pay and the minimum wage. Drivers would also like the right to be members of a trade union.
