On August 11th, 150 Deliveroo’s Parisian Workers of CLAP (Collective of the Autonomous Deliverers of Paris), together with the couriers of Lyon and Bordeaux have been striking for one day against the wage reductions (from 7 to 5,25 Euro) caused by the new unilateral contractual modification imposed by Deliveroo. They went on strike for a better wage, but also to be recognised as workers and not as partners, like the new language imposed by the so called «gig economy» tries to do. Besides, Deliveroo’s workers are striking against the supposed total availability of their time and life to the needs of the platform. While extremely fragmented and precarized, the riders have been in the last months the protagonists of several strikes and struggles in the UK, in Italy and in Germany. Knowing this and knowing that platforms such as Deliveroo can be hit only through a transnational initiative, the French couriers are now calling for a European strike on August 27th.
The French couriers are moreover calling for a strike and a sit-in on August 28th, that is the day in which contractual modifications will become effective, in front the Deliveroo headquarters in Paris. They called unions and collectives gathered in the «Front Social» to join them and take part in their struggles, to attack one of the faces of a precarization that does not concern only riders, but has affirmed itself through all job sectors and life conditions. This initiative would then continue with the participation of the riders in the general strike called for September 12th by the unions and collectives reunited under the label of the Front Social, against the Macron government and its neoliberal turn. The challenge laying ahead, within and beyond the strike of August 27th, is how to continue to establish and consolidate transnational connections, allowing to gain new capacities to hurt the employers and all those rules and laws that aim at providing them with unconditional power.
Below the statement of the couriers after the strike of August 11th:
DELIVEROO: A FIRST SUCCESSFUL STRIKE
12 August 2017
Yesterday around 150 of us, including over a hundred delivery drivers from all the various delivery companies, gathered on place de la Republique at Paris. The biggest group where Deliveroo drivers, those under the old and new contract alike. After several people. including a worker from Bordeaux, had spoken, we left to protest in front of various restaurants. A simultaenous protest was held in Lyon.
We know that our strike has had an economic impact because some restaurants had to block orders in solidarity and Deliveroo had to open additional delivery time slots.
The unprecedented nature of our movement and its echo in the media forced management already yesterday to officially communicate with us. We are, however, not taken in by this move and will continue to demand a per route fee of 7.50€, with a minimum of two routes per hour guaranteed.
In order to get Deliveroo to negotiate, we call again for a strike throughout France on Monday, 28 August, the date when the new contracts will come into force:
– We call upon the CGT, Solidaires and the Front social, who have supported us, to help us make this call known in the twenty cities in France, where Deliveroo do business.
– We ask our coworkers across Europe, who have already been mobilized in the past, to join us to make this date the first international strike against Deliveroo.
Together, we can derail Deliveroo!
THE COLLECTIVE OF THE AUTONOMOUS DELIVERERS OF PARIS
Contact : https://www.facebook.com/clap75/
