Are We Sleepwalking Into US Style Gig Worker Conditions in the UK?
I came across these screenshots today and honestly it is worrying to see where gig work in the US is heading.
One screenshot shows a DoorDash order paying just $2 for a 3 mile delivery. That is roughly £1.70. After fuel, vehicle wear, insurance and time spent waiting, there is barely anything left for the driver.
The second screenshot from the UberEats subreddit shows a driver being blocked because their order rejection rate reached 15%. Imagine being punished for refusing unprofitable jobs that literally cost you money to complete.
Now, I may be completely wrong in interpreting these two threads and if so I am happy to be corrected. But if this really is the direction things are moving in, people in the UK should pay attention.
Right now workers here still have stronger protections through employment laws and regulations, even within gig work. Things are far from perfect, but at least companies cannot openly pressure drivers into accepting every low paying order under threat of being removed from the platform.
What worries me is that there are political groups and parties pushing for more US style deregulation and weaker worker protections in the UK. Once protections are reduced, it becomes much easier for large companies to squeeze workers harder while calling it “flexibility”.
Whether someone is a delivery driver, courier, taxi driver or freelancer, nobody should be working for pennies while massive companies continue increasing fees and profits.
If people care about workers’ rights in the UK, then please think carefully about the kind of policies and political direction you support in future elections.
The original threads are linked below for reference.
Link 1: https://www.reddit.com/r/UberEatsDrivers/s/GhewvciVrn it is from Ubereats subreddit
Link 2: I am not able to search that thread again but I took a screenshot from it when I opened it for the first time thus, posting that. You will find it somewhere in reddit.