"Sheffield delivery drivers' McDonald's boycott enters second week in pay row", 14 December 2021

Delivery drivers in Sheffield are continuing to refuse to pick up orders from McDonald’s as a row over pay enters its second week.

Members of the Independent Workers of Great Britain voted to continue a boycott of outlets in the city between 5pm and 10pm every night...

The drivers are employed by Stuart Delivery which is sub-contracted by Just Eat.

They are protesting over a wage cut on December 6 which saw the minimum fee for journeys below half-a-mile drop from £4.50 to £3.40.

They say the leaves them on less than the National Minimum Wage after paying for car insurance, petrol and other costs. And they are calling for a minimum of £6 plus mileage per delivery, £15 per hour for waiting times after 10 minutes and a recruitment freeze.

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A Just Eat spokeswoman said: "...We are working with our third party delivery partner and are having ongoing discussions with them and couriers on this matter."

A Stuart Delivery spokeswoman said they changed model to pay couriers based on the distance they travel per delivery.

A delivery with a travel distance of up to 0.5 miles would be paid an initial amount of £3.40, in addition to a mileage fee for every mile after that, plus any eligible rewards.

‘Multiplier rewards’ run every week, as do ‘per drop-rewards’, which factor in on top of distance earnings, she added.

Based on recent data, fewer than four per cent of deliveries completed by couriers on the Stuart platform in Sheffield are shorter than 0.5 miles. And a ‘substantial proportion’ would therefore see an increase in pay.

She added: “The change to our pay model was made to ensure couriers on the Stuart platform will be paid more fairly based on the distance they travel per delivery. This is part of our commitment to being the best delivery platform for couriers looking for flexibility and financial stability.

"The new model has been developed to work for all couriers, whether they do shorter deliveries more frequently or fewer, longer trips, and will continue to guarantee pay per hour that is among the highest in the sector.”