Modern slavery laws apply : Even to Cyclist's

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briansnail
Posts: 809
Joined: 1 Sep 2019, 3:07pm

Modern slavery laws apply : Even to Cyclist's

Post by briansnail »

Restaurants always had a tough time of it. Low margins rule. Fast food chains serve large portions of bad food. Expensive restaurants serve miniscule portions of good food. A unfriendly virus COVID and a more friendly ally united these distinct groups. The delivery cyclist was the friend. Shops desert slowly and steadily to go online. Charity shops infiltrate to fill in the ugly missing molars. Restaurants are the last line of defence in deserted shopping high streets.

During 2020/2021 a large number of cyclists mobilized. From the UK to the US. From Dubai to India. They ensured food supplies got through. To coin a phrase. First time every time. These heroes’ braved freezing artic temperatures and dark scary nights. They risked life and limb pedalling furiously through dodgy neighbourhoods . Their companions on the solitary long tiring rides. Mushy snow biting on tire tread or baking temperatures. Outpacing massive dogs running and sniffing at their heavy backpacks.

Working couples with small kids. With also no time to cook depended on their lifeline. As did COVID isolators unable to visit food shops. Demand meets with scant reward low wages. Just add injury to insult. Poor or non-existent tips. (This of course does not apply to Cycling UK forum supporters. All are good people who tip well). Do not underestimate the cumulative number of pedal delivery cyclists. They are large.

Imagine. 6 pm the algorithm flashes. It tells the delivery cyclist orders are available 3 miles North of Cycle town.10 mins later the algorithm barks again. If anyone wants, there is an order to pick up 3 miles south of Cycle town. Common sense would say to do this efficiently. Read get hot food to house on time at least if you want to stay in business. You need a literal army of cyclists. This drives the rate per hour. It drives it right down to nothing. Note the idle time waiting for orders at non peak times. Hence the problem. Defy anyone to pay a living wage. It defies logic. One reason the system survives. It depends on people who cannot find better work elsewhere.2/3 jobbers or struggling student actors.

In the City are big Trust fund companies. They love the financial model. However, citing ethical concerns many steer away. Support of some of the IT platforms runs countary to conscience. At the heart of their reluctance is a realization. Cyclists at the bottom of the pyramid. They support the structure. They also get nothing.

What might help delivery cyclists need is a hourly paid rate based on the minimum wage. Not one on deliveries made or distance or other. If the algorithms catch and they will some a cyclist not performing. Do the necessary. Waves in the sea often part. Companies and poorly performing cyclists should not be an exception. However, pay a fair rate. Worldwide exploitation of cyclists. Now that is just modern slavery.


I ride a Brompton and 100% British Vintage hand built bike
Jdsk
Posts: 24639
Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: Modern slavery laws apply : Even to Cyclist's

Post by Jdsk »

briansnail wrote: 26 Jan 2022, 6:42am What might help delivery cyclists need is a hourly paid rate based on the minimum wage. Not one on deliveries made or distance or other. If the algorithms catch and they will some a cyclist not performing. Do the necessary. Waves in the sea often part. Companies and poorly performing cyclists should not be an exception. However, pay a fair rate. Worldwide exploitation of cyclists. Now that is just modern slavery.
We will tackle insecurity by:

Giving everyone full rights from day one on the job.

Ending bogus self-employment and creating a single status of ‘worker’ for everyone apart from those genuinely self-employed in business on their own account, so that employers can not evade workers’ rights; and banning overseas-only recruitment practices.

Banning zero-hour contracts and strengthening the law so that those who work regular hours for more than 12 weeks will have a right to a regular contract, reflecting those hours.

Any guesses where that's from?

Jonathan
PH
Posts: 13106
Joined: 21 Jan 2007, 12:31am
Location: Derby
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Re: Modern slavery laws apply : Even to Cyclist's

Post by PH »

Another view, mine, written three years ago when I'd been doing it for a year, still am, still sometimes alongside agency work, sometimes as my primary income:
viewtopic.php?p=1333262#p1333262

There are issues with the gig economy, no job security or holiday or sick pay, frequently changing terms without notice or consultation. Some of those changes result in winners and losers, there's a dispute in some cities between those delivering and Stuart (A contractor for Just Eat)
but where I work the same changes increased my income:
https://www.business-humanrights.org/en ... -pay-cuts/

The pandemic has bought all sorts of challenges, my income has fluctuated considerably, though I also received the self employed support grants and took a winter office job, so I've been OK. Some riders who'd never bothered filling out a tax form, found themselves in trouble, I didn't have much sympathy. Plenty of people signed up, some like taxi drivers because their regular income had dried up, also plenty of furloughed workers looking for a bit extra. It hasn't settled down yet, I don't know when or if that'll happen or where we'll be when it does.

It is exploitative, it isn't slavery, really you should save that language for where it does exist.
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