In the series of presentations by trade unions, associations and groups that fight against the exploitation of Platforms around the world, today: London, Great Britain, and last week’s strike of Platform employees.
Last Friday (February 2, 2024) there was a strike by food delivery workers in the UK, showing what a force temporary workers can be when they unite.
The strike was organized from the bottom up and was not a response to the call of any trade union headquarters. And it did not only apply to people working for one specific Platform. Initially, it was a strike focusing only on London – it covered 90 areas of the metropolis. But on Friday, as the strike gained momentum and word spread, more cities joined it. First Bristol and Liverpool, then Glasgow and Brighton.
In terms of its effectiveness in disrupting Platform operations, this strike appears to be one of the largest yet in the industry. Videos of McDonald’s bags piling up in restaurants circulated online and the Deliveroo app displayed the message “We’ll be back to normal soon.”
The most indisputable proof of the strike’s power was the absolutely incredible job quotes that Platform’s algorithms calculated to get suppliers back to work. As IWGB trade union member Shaf Hussain showed in a series of tweets, Uber Eats offered up to £71.01 for two deliveries over a distance of 9.5 km, while on a normal day the rate for a courier does not exceed £3.
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