Evri accused of employing people on ‘slave drivers contract’
A director repeatedly refused to recognise whistleblower complaints read to him by MP Liam Byrne during a business and trade committee session.
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Your support makes all the difference.Evri has faced claims that its workers are being employed on a “slave drivers contract” amid a series of whistleblower complaints, during an evidence session in Westminster.
Liam Byrne, chairman of the business and trade committee of MPs, said on Tuesday that he had been “inundated with feedback” from people who worked for the delivery company.
Mr Byrne said workers had complained of inaccurate payment, unachievable targets, wage reductions, bullying and intimidation, exploitation of vulnerable workers and other issues.
He said: “I’m curious as to how you’re not picking this up when our inboxes have been flooded ahead of the session.”
Hugo Martin, the company’s director of legal and public affairs, said: “I’m also curious of that (why he was not seeing the complaints) … our couriers will have frustrations around services that they provide … we don’t always get it right.
“There are numerous ways in which our couriers can tell us about how they are being treated and, I have to say, I just don’t have those emails flooding my inbox.”
Mr Byrne responded: “Well, we do, I’m afraid.”
The accusation came as MPs grilled representatives from Evri, Deliveroo and clothes retailers Frasers Group and Uniqlo.
The Government is looking to pass new rules to strengthen workers’ rights, expected to come into force next year.
Evri recently had a record year for deliveries, and took on more than 10,000 extra couriers to accommodate extra demand over the Christmas period.
But it was also ranked as the worst parcel firm for helping customers in an October report by mail regulator Ofcom.
Labour’s Mr Byrne read out 10 whistleblower complaints from Evri staff to Mr Martin.
They also included unfair use of self employment, unfair practices in parcel banding, poor treatment, health and safety issues and a lack of proper courier checks.
Mr Martin repeatedly told MPs he did not recognise the complaints and that couriers were free to contact him about the issues.