Deliveroo and UberEATS couriers led a motorcade protest from Ashwin Street to Hackney Town Hall on 10 November. This was a response to McDonald’s management making couriers wait for orders in a car park with no toilets or shelter.
The riders also refused to take orders from Dalston McDonald’s after receiving multiple £65 parking fines when collecting orders from the restaurant.
They are demanding that McDonald’s opens its delivery yard on Abbott Street for courier parking, as drivers are prime targets for moped theft, exacerbated by off-site parking.
The couriers asked not to be fully named, but Bruno said: “It’s simple, delivery riders need a space to park, and it has to be close to the majority of the restaurants. It has to be safe and close to Dalston McDonald’s, which is the restaurant we receive most orders from.” The couriers are encouraged by their delivery apps to wait near the restaurant as otherwise they risk their orders being terminated for late deliveries.
After a meeting on 4 August 2021 with local authorities and McDonald’s management, the riders complained that their needs were dismissed, and they were instructed to move to Bentley Road car park. McDonald’s has maintained that it cannot grant access to Abbott Street delivery yard as it does not own the land.
John Kirk from the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain said: “In the past several years, food delivery app companies have transformed the landscape of work, putting thousands of couriers onto the streets. Yet they have not provided any kind of infrastructure to accommodate their workers.”
Diane Abbott, Hackney North MP, tweeted support for the protest saying, “solidarity to the riders on strike” and highlighted their need for “full employment rights”.
The drivers said that they faced harassment from police and civil enforcement officers on a daily basis. They also claimed they had received parking fines despite not exceeding the 20-minute limit on the loading bays.
“At the end of the day, we just want a parking space and to work hassle free,” said delivery driver Abdul.
The riders have previously held multiple protests and a three-day boycott in October. They insist further action will take place if their demands are not met.
