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Deliveroo and Uber Eats delivery workers in Bristol are going on strike today (4 October) over pay and conditions.

Delivery riders in the city are calling for increased transparency from Uber Eats and Deliveroo on pay structures as well as a freeze on hiring new riders, claiming it drives down pay.

The workers also want a minimum of £5 per delivery, paid waiting times at restaurants of 17p per minute, and greater transparency in the app on activity levels.

The riders who are striking are urging customers and restaurants to support them by not ordering food or taking orders during the strike action, warning of big delays during the two-hour strike.

A Bristol courier, who wants to remain anonymous, said: “Deliveroo and Uber Eats try to present a fluffy image of how they treat riders but the reality is pretty different.

"As riders we’re kept in the dark as to how our pay is actually calculated. They talk about paying above minimum wage but the reality is a lot of couriers make less in a shift, because there aren’t enough orders, there are too many other riders being hired, and the travel distances increase with no or little rise in pay.

(Image: DAILY RECORD)

"They’ve been cutting pay and changing our conditions without consulting us for ages and we’ve had enough."

Bristol couriers plan to meet at McDonalds in Broadmead, and will log out of their delivery apps and stop working between 6pm and 8pm.

They are joining a day of national action by workers in other parts of the fast food industry across a number of UK cities.

The courier added: "At the end of the day these companies are worth billions of pounds. But without us, they’re just apps. We do the dangerous and insecure work that generates their profits and all we’re asking for is fairer pay so we can afford to get by."

The strikes are being supported by independent unions Industrial Workers of the World and Independent Workers Union of Great Britain.

A spokesperson for IWW said: "For too long companies like Deliveroo and Uber have relied on a business model that pits workers against each other in a desperate bid to make ends meet.

"Today marks the turning point, couriers are uniting, standing together and taking the fight back to them. Deliveroo and Uber be warned - this is just the start."

An Uber Eats spokesperson said: “Uber Eats offers a flexible way for couriers to make money by simply logging in and out of the app when and where they choose.

"Last week couriers using our app in Bristol took home an average of £10 per hour, with many also using other delivery apps.

"Making improvements in response to courier feedback is a top priority, such as the sickness, injury, maternity and paternity protections we recently introduced.

"Our door is always open for feedback and we host regular events with local couriers to discuss questions or address any issues they're having."

Deliveroo has been contacted for comment.