by Our News Desk

DRIVERS working for Uber’s food delivery service picketed the company’s headquarters yesterday after a union activist was sacked for speaking out over pay.

Uber Eats couriers staged the protest to demand the reinstatement of their colleague Imran Siddiqui.

Mr Siddiqui organised a protest on last Friday which saw dozens of drivers gather outside Uber’s office to protest at a pay policy which they say leads to some workers earning less than the minimum wage.
Drivers currently receive £3.30 per delivery and £1 for every mile travelled, but their pay has fallen by 30 to 40 per cent since bonuses were axed.

One driver at the protest explained that a 10-hour shift would earn him just £34.

Mr Siddiqui spoke to broadcasters at the protest, setting out the drivers’ demands to be paid £9.40 per hour plus insurance and maintenance costs.

He has since had his account with the company deactivated, meaning that he has effectively been sacked.

His supporters say they will fight for his reinstatement while continuing their pay campaign.

Jonathan Katona, vice-president of the IWGB union representing the drivers, said: “UberEats call couriers their ‘partners,’ but when workers ask them to pay us a decent wage, management try to bully them into silence by sacking them at the flick of a switch. How can anybody tolerate this bullying?”

The bicycle and moped courriers say they will escalate their campaign by protesting outside popular London restaurants that use Uber Eats to deliver their food to customers’ homes.

Responding to the latest action, an Uber Eats spokesman said: “Mr Siddiqui’s courier account was put on hold for serious breaches of our terms and is unrelated to Friday’s protest.

"This was done before last week’s action and before we were aware he was involved in arranging the protest. Uber has not and would not take action against any of its courier partners simply for taking part in a protest.” 

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