Deliveroo is not a British success story – it’s a national tragedy for workers’ rights

If gig economy companies are left unregulated and allowed to deny workers basic rights, says Alex Marshall, it will set a dangerous precedent

We must protect the rights of all workers (Getty Images)

Deliveroo is being hailed by Rishi Sunak as a “British success story”, but behind the slick PR the company is battling its own workers and a rising tide of strikes, direct action and litigation around the world. 

The pressure appears to be working – the company flopped today in its London Stock Exchange debut, with investors shunning the firm’s initial public offering and citing concerns about its gig economy working practices. But the fight isn’t over yet and we need to continue raising awareness of the significant risks associated with this increasingly unstable business model.

Eight years ago I worked as a gig economy bicycle courier for a different company. Drawn in by the promise of independence and flexible work, I soon realised I’d cycled straight into a Venus flytrap. My experience was similar to many Deliveroo riders. Pay barely covered costs and without annual leave or pension contributions, I couldn’t afford to take time off even when I was ill. I was hurried and harassed every hour of the day and went to work every day with the knowledge I could be terminated for no reason and with no due process. Far from being flexible, my hours just got longer as I struggled to make ends meet.