Senator Seery-Kearney meets with Deliveroo management as workers avoid inner city areas following attacks

Deliveroo cyclists have been forced to avoid certain inner-city areas due to fears for their own safety when delivering food, a Fine Gael Senator has said.

This comes amidst reports of attacks and bike thefts targeting young Deliveroo workers across the Capital.

Fine Gael Senator Mary Seery-Kearney met with senior management of the multi-billion euro enterprise on Friday where she outlined the company must devise a system to prioritise the safety of young cyclists working for them and ensure no areas of Dublin are disenfranchised.

Senator Seery-Kearney has also written to the Minister for Justice to ask that Gardaí are given all supports needed to ensure the safety of delivery cyclists and drivers cross the Capital.

Senator Seery-Kearney said: “It has been brought to my attention that Deliveroo cyclists are being forced to avoid delivering food to certain parts of Dublin due to fears for their own safety after reports of attacks and bike thefts perpetrated on personnel.

“I met with senior management of Deliveroo to discuss the serious safety concerns raised in recent weeks by the delivery agents and how the company must do more to protect their cyclists and listen to their other employment concerns.

“It is completely unacceptable that delivery cyclists are facing such a serious personal safety threat in the course of their essential work.

“Over the last number of weeks we have heard shocking details of the conditions they face when delivering in some parts of Dublin, an issue that seems to be exacerbated during the current lockdown.

“The ongoing safety threat against these workers has huge knock-on implications for local businesses across the Capital who rely on them for distribution of their meals, and for customers at home.

“Deliveroo and other agencies must do more to protect these workers. Deliveroo’s lack of action on delivery agent safety is part of a wider set of issues facing takeaway cyclists in their employment.

“Riders and drivers recently took strike action over their working conditions and treatment.

“These young people are deemed to be self-employed individual contractors, rather than employees with guaranteed hours and full entitlements.

“While this arrangement lends itself to flexibility, which can be particularly attractive for students, it could also be deemed as exploitative.

“During my meeting with Deliveroo, I raised my concerns around this unique contracting practice and what truly is in the best interest of these young workers. I await further communication from them on the issue and I have submitted a report to both the Tánaiste and Minister Damien English from the meeting.”

Senator Seery-Kearney concluded: “The level of anti-social behaviour on our streets is also completely unacceptable.

“I know the Minister for Justice met with the Garda Commissioner last week on the escalating issue of knife crime and general violence in the capital.

“I have contacted gardaí to raise the particular issue of the very serious and ongoing threat to Deliveroo cyclists’ safety while they carry out their jobs.

“I have asked the gardaí to advise on their views and experiences around the alleged attacks and bike thefts that have been extensively reported on in recent days.

“These malicious attacks not only target these vulnerable workers, they target the whole community with knock on consequences for businesses and customers. Urgent action is now required.”