Just Eat drivers in Blackburn, Darwen and Accrington are threatening go strike over changes to their pay.
Around 50 drivers met in a car park to discuss the changes in recent weeks by the food order and delivery platform, which they say are impacting their lives and ‘threatening their livelihoods’.
Following the meeting, it was decided that drivers would stage a weekend strike , the peak days for takeaway orders, aiming to cause ‘chaos’ for fast food outlets during their busiest time of the week.
Customers will either have to collect their meals themselves or go without a takeaway this weekend.
The action comes after drivers said on an 8.5-mile delivery their payment had been slashed to approximately £8 from £11, a 27% cut.
For a 6.5-mile delivery, the price was now c£6.50, down from £9 or 28%.
A spokesperson for the group, who did not wish to be named in case it affected his job, said: “Drivers are providing a valuable service to customers and to businesses.
“It is a lifeline to businesses and Just Eat. Without the driver, there is no delivery.
“With prices going up elsewhere, we cannot see the reason Just Eat would be offering lower rates and asking workers to drive more miles for less money.
“Drivers are just going to stop taking jobs. It is not worth it.”
In one case, a driver said he got a job while he was in Ewood for a pick-up in Rishton and delivery in Oswaldtwistle.
He was being offered around £6 and turned the job down.
Drivers also said that when they do refuse a job, their ratings are affected.
The spokesman added: “We require a 20 per cent increase or £1 bonuses all the time, and not just on weekends.
“It is not much to ask, but we think drivers deserve to be treated with a little more respect.”
A Just Eat spokesperson said: “We take the concerns of all couriers on the Just Eat network extremely seriously.
“Their welfare is important to us, and we welcome their feedback. We provide a highly competitive base rate to self-employed couriers and offer regular incentives to help them maximise their earnings.
“We will continue to review our pay structure regularly”.
It is not the first time drivers in Blackburn, Darwen and Accrington have threatened to down bags.
In October 2023, a strike was averted at the last minute after Just Eat reinstated a ‘boost’ payment to drivers.
Author: George Shaw
Former BBC journalist and founder and CEO of an award-winning London advertising and PR company for 20 years, providing restaurant consultancy services. Spent a decade as the director of communications of the Asian Catering Federation in the UK and lead judge for its various restaurant and chef awards programmes. Now returned to journalism, specialising in food and travel and currently the Editor-in-Chief for Taste London, Taste Asia, the Good Curry Guide and CEO of International Culinary Guides.