Dozens of takeaway delivery drivers have gone on strike today in a row over an 'unfair' pay cut.
About 50 couriers in Bury are taking action today (Friday) after they claim Just Eat reduced their rate of pay. They say they now earn about 40pc less per order than they did last year, leaving them struggling to make ends meet amid the cost of living crisis.
The disgruntled drivers, all of whom are self-employed, are refusing to deliver Just Eat orders from restaurants and takeaways across Bury between 7am today and 12.30am on Saturday. Pickets were held outside McDonald's branches in Whitefield, Radcliffe and Pilsworth this morning in the first of a series of planned days of action.
READ MORE: Police watchdog to investigate allegation trainee officer was bullied before his death
"It feels like we are driving for nothing," explained Peter Collinge, one of the drivers who organised the strike.
"With the cost of fuel going up, it's really bad on us. It barely even covers the cost of your fuel and expenses."
Mr Collinge, 39, said he and other drivers had decided to take action in a bid to convince Just Eat to reinstate the old rate of pay.
"We don't want to strike," he said. "We just want to be paid fairly.
"Our main priority is to let them know we are disgruntled. It's the second time they have dropped the rate.
"If we carry on accepting it, they will just keep dropping it. If they put it any lower, it will probably be the end of it for most of us.
"We are all-self employed so we aren't entitled to any holiday pay or anything like that.
"We're out in all weathers, whether it's rain or snow, delivering to vulnerable people that can't get out. We're not going to sit back and let them do what they want."
Drivers say the rate of pay they receive for delivering a Just Eat order was reduced at the end of last year. They said a £1 bonus per job was added instead, but that was removed about six weeks ago.
As a result, drivers say they are now earning considerably less than they were before.
Syed Hosseini has worked for Just Eat since 2019 and said he used to earn £550 a month. His takings are down by more than £200 since the pay cut, he says.
He said he felt 'voiceless' over the change and has considered looking for another job.
"We are being treated like slaves," he said. "If they want to drop the rates by £2, they can do that at any time.
"We don't have any choice. It's like they are controlling our lives.
"This is our source of income, our livelihood depends on it. This strike is about preserving our dignity and telling them enough is enough."
A spokesperson for Just Eat said: “We take any concerns raised by couriers on our network seriously. We provide a highly competitive base rate to self-employed couriers and also offer regular incentives to help them maximise their earnings. We continue to review our pay structure regularly and welcome any feedback from couriers."
READ NEXT:
