A driver with the food delivery company Deliveroo has claimed he was fired by the company after he refused to sign a new contract that would have reduced his pay.
The man, who gave his name as Jamal, spoke to RTÉ's Liveline programme on Monday.
Jamal said he had been fired on Friday after refusing to sign the new contract because it was “less favourable” to him.
A communication from the company then told him he had to remove all Deliveroo stickers from his motorbike and stop wearing all its branded clothing.
Jamal said he had been paid €9 hourly wages after having been promoted to “supervisor” but the company proposed under the new contract he would only be paid for each delivery he made.
The motorbike delivery driver said the company’s drivers were paid on the basis of each order sent to them via a smartphone app. Some drivers used their own bikes and some were provided with battery-powered bikes by Deliveroo.
Under the new contract, he would be paid €4.25 per order on weekdays and €4.75 on weekends, plus a petrol allowance.
The driver said his last pay cheque did not reimburse him for petrol.
“They are hiring people every day and they are also firing people,” he claimed.
Drivers paid the company €200 deposit for uniforms and other equipment. But in some cases they were earning only between €30 and €50 a day, he said.
Jamal said he had worked on a Sunday without making any deliveries.
“The whole day I was working I received no delivery at all and I made no money at all.”
In Dublin, drivers for the company collect food from a variety of restaurants and takeaway businesses and deliver it to addresses within 3km of the city centre. But Jamal said he had delivered as far away as 8km. There was a bonus for the “fastest” driver.
“They do give a bonus if you’re the fastest driver of the month. I’ve won that bonus twice,” he said.
Jamal said he was working without holiday pay, insurance or sick pay. However, the company’s contract made clear that the arrangement with drivers was a “consultant agreement” and that they were not employees, but self-employed.
In a statement Deliveroo said it was updating its “rider service agreement”to “more accurately reflect the way riders are currently working”. This includes setting out standards in areas such as road safety, food handling and dress codes, it said.
The company said this included “direct dialogue” with drivers and “has not involved terminating our current fleet”. As freelancers the drivers “are not required to agree to this update, but it is necessary for those who wish to continue as a supplier on our platform.”
On sick pay and holiday leave the company said that in order to “offer the flexibility” its drivers required “we engage on a freelance basis”.
“ This means riders let us know when they are and aren’t available to work and can take as much time off as they like. Providing paid holiday leave is not compatible with this model.”
“This has always been a key component of our rider offer, and won’t change with the updated service agreement,” the company said.
Deliveroo announced last November it had raised $100 million to fund further international expansion, and that it was expanding its Irish service to Galway.
The company, which is backed by Irish entrepreneur Dylan Collins, said the investment would be used for further international expansion and to establish the company firmly as the number one provider of on-demand high-quality food delivery.
It launched in London in 2013 and now operates in Galway, Dublin and Cork.