A protest against what the Battersea and Wandsworth Trades Union Council (BWTUC) call “the face of contemporary exploitation in London” is scheduled to take place tomorrow (9th February) at the Deliveroo depot.
According to the trade union, Deliveroo ‘self employed’ delivery drivers are being exploited by Deliveroo. The body will offer these workers union membership to fight it says BWTUC, as part of the national TUC heart of unions week.
There will be demonstrators with the BWTUC banner giving our union membership forms and talking to the delivery workers about the benefits of being in a trades union.
“Now, more than ever, we must come together to protect our rights and promote equality in the workplace. Deliveroo drivers will be offered a chance to join a union to combat what is the face of the exploitation of young workers in contemporary London,” Spencer Barnshaw, secretary of BWTUC commented.
Trade union membership currently makes up about 25 per cent of the working population in the UK. However, only 5 per cent of trade union members in the UK are aged 16 to 24. More than one third (39 percent) are aged over 50, according to Barshaw.
“Young workers are some of the most vulnerable, who are particularly affected by low pay, precarious contracts, over-qualification, without opportunities for training and progression. They are often working in sectors with low or no union presence and without collective agreements, such as in retail, hospitality and outsourced social care. They are the workers who could benefit the most from union membership, yet their voice is currently missing from our movement,” he added.
“It is essential these young workers have a better understanding of, and are able to participate in, trade unions. This means that we need to get better at responding to their needs and organising in ways that benefit them. This will mean organising in different ways, using digital tools and listening to young workers values and aspirations. If we are unable to involve young workers, we won’t have a trade union movement in the future.”
This is part of the TUC’s week of action, held between 8th and 14th Feb 2017 to celebrate the work done by union reps and members in the UK. Tomorrow’s protest will be held from 12 noon outside the Deliveroo depot (Bridges Close, near Battersea Heliport, London SW11).
