The Socialist 24 August 2016

Kick out the Blairites

Kick out the Blairites

#KeepCorbyn: Answer right's attacks with firm socialist programme

Corbyn union nominations round-up and view from the workplace

#KeepCorbyn: huge support at rallies and among Labour rank and file

Black footballer's taser death: stop police racism now

Pay still below pre-crisis levels

Train fares to rise again - nationalise railways now!

£500m on civil service redundancies in two years

Them & Us

Trump in trouble - political polarisation deepens

International news in brief

Readers respond to Trotskyist red scare smears by capitalist media

Would you call G4S for help over discrimination?

The Socialist inbox

Deliveroo strike action forces bosses to back down

Junior doctors set for further strike action

A day in the life of a call centre worker

Workplace news in brief

Save our NHS!

The threat of private health insurance

Organise against secretive NHS cuts plans

Greenwich council tenants: We won't pay! We won't move!

Local estate agents back Butterfields tenants

Nottinghamshire Pride makes history

Immingham residents' housing battle

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Striking driver talks to the Socialist

Deliveroo strike action forces bosses to back down

A Deliveroo workers' delegation enters the company HQ for talks with management photo James Ivens (Click to enlarge)

The six-day strike by Deliveroo drivers in London, organised by the IWGB union, has forced the bosses to back down and won concessions.

Following negotiations with a delegation of drivers, Deliveroo management scrapped the new contract they were trying to impose.

Other concessions include: a promise of no victimisation of strikers, a trial of a new pay structure in the area affected, negotiations afterwards, and any driver who doesn't want to take part can move to a new area of their choice and keep the same hours.

The trial pay model will see workers get £3.75 per delivery, in contrast to the current £7 per hour, with an additional £1 per delivery.

The decision by Deliveroo not to force workers to take part in the trial is a victory for collective action and trade union organisation and is particularly significant coming as it does in the so called 'gig economy'.

A Deliveroo striker spoke to the Socialist:

"When I started working for Deliveroo I didn't think this would be possible, but by fighting together and standing firm we have stopped the worst of the new contract and made our voices heard.

"We work in all weathers and risk our lives dashing around the streets of London and by scrapping the hourly rate as the company wants to, we would all earn less.

"Being paid for each delivery doesn't take into account all the waiting around and the inconsistency in deliveries.

"It would be like being on a zero-hour contract but my rent is the same each month, some drivers have kids, food is the same price, we can't afford our pay to vary every week.

"Technically we are self-employed, even though this only works for the company, but this shows even we can take action and act as one.

"The protest we held outside the offices on the first day of the strike was brilliant, it forced the top managers to come out and speak to us. And we'd like to thank everyone who came down to offer us support. I'm still amazed by how much publicity this strike has got!"

In this issue

#KeepCorbyn

Kick out the Blairites