by Matt Trinder

Industrial reporter

HUNDREDS of Deliveroo riders are set to strike when the firm debuts on the stock market next month, as their union continues to warn investors against buying shares in the company.

The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) co-published an investor briefing on Saturday warning of the extensive “financial and reputational risk” of investing in the company.

Deliveroo riders are being asked to strike on April 7, when the food delivery firm debuts on the London Stock Exchange.

The investor guide, published in partnership with the Private Equity Stakeholder Project and ShareAction, urges potential shareholders to engage Deliveroo on issues such as riders’ employment status, poor working conditions and the denial of their right to collective bargaining.

After a recent investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism showed that a third of Deliveroo riders were earning less than the minimum wage, some of the country’s largest investment firms have refused to buy shares in the firm.

MPs including former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn have accused Deliveroo bosses of putting workers and the public at risk during the pandemic, with riders – who are not entitled to company sick pay – reportedly unable to afford to self-isolate.

IWGB president Alex Marshall said: “Investing in Deliveroo means associating yourself with the exploitative and unstable business model that it champions and has set aside millions to defend.”

He added: “With riders now determined to push for change, it means standing on the wrong side of history with nothing but bad press, litigation and industrial action to look forward to.”

Deliveroo said that job satisfaction among its riders was at an all-time high and that investors are keen to purchase shares in April.