Deliveroo faces inquiry into working conditions by MPs

Frank Field to collect evidence from takeaway service workers over the next five weeks

Frank Field MP has launched an inquiry into pay and working conditions at takeaway service Deliveroo.

The Labour chair of the Work and Pensions Committee will gather evidence over the next five weeks from Deliveroo riders, in an attempt to shed light on conditions for workers in the gig economy.

As part of the process, the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB), a union for gig economy workers, has organised a roundtable at which Deliveroo riders will be invited to present oral evidence based on their experience of working with the company. Mr Field also plans to write to Deliveroo with a series of questions on riders’ pay and conditions.

“The weight of the evidence I’ve seen shows that bogus self-employment is being peddled by those who benefit so handsomely from the gig economy, to avoid the obligations they have to their workforce,” he said.

“I now wish to see if this is a partial view or whether it, sadly, represents what is going on in yet another company operating in the gig economy.”

Last week the IWGB won permission at the high court for a judicial review of a decision that confirmed a group of Deliveroo riders were self-employed. The union had appealed the earlier ruling by the government’s Central Arbitration Committee, which meant Deliveroo riders were not entitled to holiday pay, the national living wage or collective bargaining rights.

On Monday, Jason Moyer-Lee, general secretary of the IWGB, said: “Following on from last week’s High Court decision that our workers and human rights case against Deliveroo can proceed for judicial review, today’s announcement is another important step in achieving justice for low paid Deliveroo riders.

“I’m familiar with how Deliveroo justifies its actions in legalese, but I do look forward to seeing how they justify depriving riders of fundamental human rights in their evidence to Frank Field MP.”

In the past, Mr Field has participated in inquiries into working conditions at Hermes, Uber, DPD and Parcelforce.

A Deliveroo spokesperson said the company offers riders “flexible, well-paid work because this is what we know they want”.

“Riders value having the freedom to choose when, where and whether to work, and this flexibility is only available through self-employment,” the spokesperson added.

“The self-employed status of Deliveroo riders has been repeatedly confirmed in the courts. Deliveroo would be happy to contribute to a balanced enquiry which acknowledges the benefits of self-employment, and which takes forward our calls on policy-makers to end the trade-off between flexibility and security that currently exists in employment law, so we can continue to improve our offer to riders.”