The IWW stands in solidarity with Deliveroo strikers under attack

(A Portuguese translation is available below our statement in English)

The IWW Couriers Network condemns yesterday’s attack on striking couriers who were protesting against Deliveroo’s poverty pay.

Video footage of the incident shows that a van twice rammed into two different moped couriers, damaging the vehicles they depend on to make a living. The first time, the couriers spoke with the driver, explaining that they were taking strike action. The second time that the van rammed a moped driver, the couriers responded in self-defence. When the van driver and his friend retaliated by arming themselves with hammers, the drivers in fact de-escalated the conflict and disarmed the driver without causing him further harm.

One IWW member who was at the protest stated:

“While all other cars reversed to go about their business, the van driver set off the confrontation by driving his vehicle into the mopeds. When the couriers tried to explain the reason of their protests, he responded by shouting and insulting them before ramming his van into two moped riders.”

The IWW Couriers Network stands in solidarity with the couriers and their right to defend themselves against violence. The daily reality of delivery couriers involves dealing with dangerous drivers, moped thieves, immigration police and of course delivery companies that do not care for the safety of their couriers. These drivers lack access to services that can resolve these threats for them and therefore have to rely on mutual support and self-defence to maintain their security and livelihoods.

We condemn Deliveroo’s shameful statement on what happened yesterday. Rather than defending its drivers who were attacked by a van and men armed with deadly weapons, the company has placed the blame on its hardworking and underpaid couriers whilst also claiming that the unions supporting the striking drivers bear responsibility for what happened. Throughout the video of the incident, unionists in IWW Hi-Viz jackets can clearly be seen working to peacefully resolve the dispute. We also reject The Sun and Mail’s hit-pieces on the couriers which seem to completely underplay the fact that the couriers were attacked, rammed and then chased with hammers.

This was a self-organised strike by couriers who are sick of working for delivery companies that exploit them, lie about them, and pay them less and less to provide the vital service of delivering food to the UK’s workforce. These couriers are standing up for themselves and demanding decent pay, respect and safe working conditions. Their actions are inspiring a strike wave across the UK that is growing in size and intensity. The IWW Couriers Network will be with them every time and will continue this fight until Deliveroo, UberEats and the other greedy delivery apps pay the drivers the money they are owed.

 

A IWW Couriers Network condena o ataque ontem contra os drivers que estavam protestando contra o pagamento baixo na Deliveroo. O vídeo do incidente mostra que a van avançou sobre duas motos, danificando os veículos que eles dependem para trabalhar. Num primeiro momento, os drivers conversaram com o motorista, explicando que eles estavam protestando. No segundo momento, a van avançou sobre uma moto, e os drivers responderam en auto-defesa. Quando o motorista da van e seu comparsa se armaram com martelos, os drivers agiram pra apaziguar o conflito e desarmaram o motorista sem o machucar.

Um membro da IWW que estava presente disse:

“Enquanto todos os outros motoristas deram ré e seguiram por outros caminhos, o motorista da van quis o conflito ao avançar sobre as motos. Quando os drivers tentaram explicar o motivo do protesto, ele respondeu gritando e insultando os drivers antes de avançar com a sua van sobre duas motos.”

A IWW Couriers Network se solidariza com os drivers e o seus direito de defesa contra violência. O dia-a-dia dos drivers de delivery envolve lidar com motorista violentos, ladrões de moto, polícia da imigração e, claro, companhias de delivery que não se importam com a segurança de seus drivers. Estes drivers não têm acesso a serviços que poderiam resolver essas ameaças e, portanto, eles dependem de apoio-mútuo e auto-defesa para garantir a segurança de suas motos e suas vidas.

Nós condenamos a declaração vergonhosa da Deliveroo sobre o ocorrido. Ao invés de defender seus drivers, que foram atacados por uma van e dois homens armados com armas brancas, a companhia colocou a culpa nos seus drivers, que trabalham arduamente e recebem pouco, e também declarou que os membros do sindicato apoiandi o protesto são responsáveis pelo acontecido. Ao longo do vídeo, é possível ver claramente membros da IWW com o coleta de alta visibilidade apaziguando o conflito e tentando resolver de uma maneira pacífica. Nós também rejeitamos as matérias sensacionalistas do The Sun e do Mail, que são extremamente parciais e não levam em consideração que os drivers foram atacados, com a van e depois foram ameaçados com martelos.

Essa foi uma greve auto-organizada pelos drivers que estão cansados de receber tão pouco, em uma cidade tão cara como Londres. Esses drivers estão se levantando por conta própria e demandando um salário justo, digno e condições mais seguras de trabalho. As suas ações estão incentivando uma onda de greves ao redor do país, que está ganhando intensidade e volume. A IWW Couriers Network estará com eles em todos os momentos e continuará a luta contra a Deliveroo, a UberEats e essas companhias de delivery por app gananciosas e que tratam muito mal seus drivers.