Uber Eats meal deliverers are demanding better pay and more respect for their work, according to a protest at the Uber Eats headquarters in Brussels. The action is part of a two-day strike across the country, which started on Tuesday and is co-organized by the Christian trade union ACV-CSC and the ‘Maison des Livreurs’. Suppliers from the competing platforms Deliveroo and Takeaway.com were also present.
In concrete terms, the delivery drivers are demanding a pay increase of 2 euros per journey and 0.5 euros per kilometer traveled. Uber Eats supplier wages have not been saved since 2019, “despite 20 percent inflation,” the couriers say.
“Gray zone”
In addition, they also demand the right of reply in the event of complaints and subsequent forced dismissals. To date, Uber Eats and Deliveroo can stop the platform application through which suppliers accept orders overnight. This without any form of consultation with the delivery person in question.
“Today, the suppliers still operate in a gray zone between the status of salaried person and employee,” says Martin Willems, representative of ACV-CSC. Since 2023, suppliers have been deemed to be employees, although companies have not applied this until today. On top of that, they are paid only 4.42 euros per delivery, “far below the minimum wage”.
“Lax government”
For this reason, the activists also denounce “the inaction” of the federal government and Minister of Labor Pierre-Yves Dermagne (PS). The federal government must take responsibility and respect workers’ rights, they say.
The action was mainly aimed at Uber Eats, although Deliveroo works with the same system. Takeaway.com’s suppliers are already employed as employees, they were only present out of solidarity with colleagues.
Actions were also taken in Aalst and Antwerp on Wednesday. Several blockades were also set up.
Uber said in a response on Wednesday that it takes feedback from couriers seriously. “Today a small group of delivery drivers made their voices heard. We always take feedback from couriers very seriously and we are in constant dialogue with them, for example through roundtable discussions and our support team. In addition, the decision to deactivate an account is never easy and is always taken under the supervision of at least two experts from our team,” a spokesperson said.
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