by admp on 2/14/24, 9:08 AM with 76 comments
by msravi on 2/16/24, 7:46 AM
> To make the minimum national wage we have to make at least four deliveries, which is not as easy as it seems.
On what timeline? Per hour? Per day?
> Delivery Job UK claimed its delivery riders were braving the "cold, rain and absurd distances" for deliveries paying "ridiculous values", ranging from £2.80 to £3.15.
On what distance? "Absurd" is not a quantity.
> ...striking Deliveroo riders wanted an increase to a minimum of £5.
Per delivery? Per hour? Per kilometer? Per mile?
> On a Friday night you could make £100 over 4-5 hours, now that's gone
First data point that actually makes some sense. But what do they make now? Why leave an obvious question unanswered and hanging?
> With a minimum fee of £2.80, most might only be making three orders an hour, and then they have to subtract their costs too. Some are making £7 an hour, which in London is barely liveable
Ah, finally!
Why do news organizations do this?
by mulmen on 2/16/24, 8:19 AM
Food delivery isn’t a technology problem. It’s a trivial hiring and logistics problem. One that can literally be solved successfully by teenagers. There might have been a market for an ultra-lean driver-as-a-service with an SLA suitable for pizza delivery but I’m not even sure that’s viable.
Pizza shops are vertically integrated, staffed by entry level workers, and still have razor thin margins. It’s not a career, it’s a way to build skills and get a better job.
What an incredible blunder.
by nness on 2/14/24, 9:58 AM
There was a trending tiktok by economist Kyla Scanlon on the topic of "subsidizing affluence" and how these services were able to be offered so cheap because of incredibly low interest rates and investment. Rates have risen dramatically, affecting both the appetite of debt for start-ups and the spending power of consumers. Shareholders recognised this, and it showed through Deliveroo's historically bad IPO.
Ultimately, I suspect Deliveroo will continue to underpay (relative to the cost-of-living) because of the poverty trap — poor people don't have many options, and being underpaid as a Deliveroo rider may be the only option for survival in London and other similarly major cities.
by bawolff on 2/16/24, 7:24 AM
There isn't a whole lot of money to be had in the delivery business. Consumers already feel costs are too high. Its not like these companies are insanely profitable and taking it all for themselves.
by Magi604 on 2/16/24, 8:12 AM
So many couples went out for dinner, the effects from striking delivery workers was probably minimized a bit at least.
by forgotusername6 on 2/16/24, 9:35 AM
by simonbarker87 on 2/16/24, 9:31 AM
by hulitu on 2/16/24, 2:55 PM
Strike ? But they are not employees. /s