Nearly 8 in 10 online takeaway customers would pay more to give delivery riders basic employment rights, a new poll has claimed.
The survey by of Organise, the UK’s workplace campaigning site said 78% of respondents would pay more to give food couriers basic rights including minimum wage, sick pay and holiday pay.
Of those who are willing to pay more, 58% would pay between £1-£2.50 or more per delivery to give Deliveroo riders basic rights at work, the poll said.
Last week Deliveroo said that it would cost them an extra £1 per delivery to give riders basic rights.
The Survation survey of 1,534 UK adults was conducted between 11 and 13 October.
Nat Whalley, executive director of Organise said: “This poll shows that Deliveroo are out of step with their customers and the public when it comes to giving their riders basic employment rights. Deliveroo have underestimated how happy their customers are to pay a little more to guarantee rights at work for riders, so it’s disappointing they’re not playing their part.
“Deliveroo are running out of excuses not to protect their riders as any other British employer would have to do. It’s completely unfair that if you get knocked off your bike riding for Deliveroo, you don’t get sick pay while you’re off work. It’s time Deliveroo start putting in their fair share and give their riders sick pay, holiday pay and a guaranteed minimum wage.”
A Deliveroo spokesperson said: ”We agree that our riders deserve the best - that’s why on average across the UK they make £9.50 an hour with us - way above the minimum wage.
‘We want to be able to offer our riders three things: the flexible work that they currently get, great pay, and greater security - by bringing in for example sick and injury pay. At the moment the law stops us from offering all three.
‘We don’t want to charge customers more - we want the law to change so we can continue to offer well paid work that is extremely flexible alongside more security for our riders.”
