Deliveroo will reward most loyal riders with £10,000 bonus as unions warn gesture is ‘PR stunt’

Food delivery giant Deliveroo has announced a £16million ‘thank you’ fund for drivers but union bosses have slammed the move as a ‘PR stunt’.

The company says the fund will launch when it offers its £5billion stock market flotation in London in the coming months. 

But unions have slammed the fund as a ‘PR stunt’ and said it ‘comes nowhere near compensating exploited couriers suffering working poverty’.

Deliveroo has announced a £16million ‘thank you’ fund for its riders with the most loyal workers set to receive up to £10,000 but unions have slammed the revelation as a ‘PR stunt’

In an announcement made today, Deliveroo said there will be payments of £10,000, £1,000, £500 and £200, with all riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders receiving £200.

Over half of those receiving this sum are in the UK, some of whom began riding with Deliveroo alongside CEO Will Shu soon after the company launched, the firm says.

Will Shu, who founded the company in 2013 and was its first rider in Chelsea, West London, said: ‘I want to thank our riders who have been working with us for years, delivering great food and such a fantastic experience for our customers.

‘They have been central to our growth and will continue to be. Some of these riders have been with us since the start and I’m delighted that they can share in the excitement of the company’s next chapter.’

The move has been slammed by unions as a stunt to try and ‘gloss over’ the company’s controversy surrounding riders’ pay and treatment.

Speaking on Twitter, Alex Marshall, president of the IWGB union, which represents gig economy workers, said: ‘Desperate PR stunts are coming thick and fast from Deliveroo as they frantically try to gloss over their abhorrent labour practices.

Will Shu, founder and CEO of Deliveroo, said riders have been essential to growth of company

‘[The Thank You fund’s] £16million is a drop in the ocean for them and comes nowhere near compensating exploited couriers suffering working poverty.’

Deliveroo’s riders are considered self-employed and therefore not entitled to the national minimum wage, holiday pay or pension contributions.

As part of its announcement, the company also shared plans to set aside £50million in shares for customers.

From tomorrow, any Deliveroo customer who has placed an order will be able to register their interest in applying for shares in any future floatation via their Deliveroo app. 

The company says it aims to ensure that a significant number of customers can participate, but the company cannot guarantee that everyone who applies for shares in future will be allocated shares, as demand is unknown.

If there is extremely high demand for shares, Deliveroo said it will prioritise existing loyal customers, but will make sure a mixture of new and existing customers benefit. 

Deliveroo recently picked London for its hotly anticipated stock market float this year.

The tech firm’s founder and chief executive, Will Shu, had been looking at listing its shares in New York.

But in a major boost for Brexit Britain, the Mail understands that the £5billion company will list in London in the coming months.

Deliveroo’s biggest rival, Just East Takeaway, is also listed in London, and Amsterdam.

The decision marks a big win for London as the Square Mile tries to reinvent itself after Brexit. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has vowed to make the UK the best place to list in the world and has looked at slashing regulations to make that happen.

It is hoped that Deliveroo’s decision will spur other tech firms to follow, with chip designer Graphcore and cyber security firm Darktrace also working on plans to list.

Deliveroo is expected to float in 2021, although no firm date has been set.