Morrisons, Pizza Express and Wingstop are among 30 leading UK chains to have written to the Home Secretary calling for greater protection for delivery drivers in the upcoming Crime & Policing Bill.
The outlets – with a combined 3,000-plus sites across the UK – signed a joint letter urging the government to extend the scope of the bill to include food couriers.
The government has committed to creating a standalone offence of assaulting or threatening a retail worker when they’re at their place of work, as part of new legislation soon to be unveiled in Parliament.
However, the letter’s signatories – rallied together by Deliveroo as part of its ‘Right to Ride Safely’ campaign – say the proposed laws stops too short by failing to protect delivery riders when they are on a delivery too.
The government “must extend the scope of the offence” the letter states.
Deliveroo’s campaign – which is backed by GMB and the BRC – was launched in November last year after research revealed there had been a 28% increase in the total number of abusive incidents towards riders when compared with the six months prior. This included verbal abuse, reports of racism and sexism and illegal activity such as theft of an order, a rider’s vehicle, or their delivery equipment.
“There are real people behind these numbers – people who face physical and verbal assault, racism, sexism and theft,” the group writes in its letter to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper. “It’s time for the government to act and send a clear message: abuse against delivery riders will not be tolerated.”
The group want similar laws to the ones proposed for shopworkers to protect delivery riders for the entire duration of their delivery – from accepting the order, travelling to collect it, all the way through to dropping it off at the customer’s house.
“The UK hospitality and retail industries play a vital role in the UK’s economy and delivery riders are integral to that,” the letter continues. “Protecting them must be a priority for us all.”
The signatories of the letter are:
- Will Shu, CEO, Deliveroo
- Alan Morgan, CEO, The Big Table Group (Bella Italia, Café Rouge, Las Iguanas, Frankie & Benny’s, Chiquito, Banana Tree, Amalfi, Filling Station, Coast to Coast, Est Italian)
- Chris Sherriff, CEO, Wingstop
- Chris Holmes, chief development officer, Pizza Express
- Charlotte Exell, online director, Morrisons
- Thom Elliot, co-founder, Pizza Pilgrims
- Patrick Marrinan, CEO, Pho
- Lucy Milne, marketing director, Dishoom
- Mo Han, founder, Asia Villa
- Florian de Chezelles, co-founder, The Salad Project
- Tim Thornton, founder, Base Face Pizza
- Jae Cho, CEO, Maguro
- Jason Balsam, founder, Kiyoto Sushi
- Sam Akhtar, founder, Now Peri Peri
- Ajay Gupta, founder, Aamcha Eastern Kitchen
- André Martins, CEO, Zocalo
- Milan Kovacevich, founder, BONA Pizza
- Emily Teh, CEO, Zambrero
- Ercan Aksu, founder, Kervan Sofrasi
- Kaysar Miah, founder, Brentwood Spice
- Hakan Kilic, MD, Brill Burger
- Joshua Simons, co-founder, chicken & Blues
- Lapman Ma, founder, Chick ‘N’ Bao
- Duka Nagy, director, Smoke BBQ
- Adam Parnell, MD, Sinple Treats
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