Irwin Mitchell Legal Expert Comments On Case

A group of Deliveroo couriers are set to take legal action if the high profile food delivery company reject their request for union recognition and employment rights.

The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) has sent a letter on behalf of riders in north London, asking Deliveroo for recognition for the union to bargain on their behalf.

Failure to respond within 10 days will result an application being submitted to the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) asking it to declare that Deliveroo must engage with collective bargaining.

Jason Moyer-Lee, IWGB general secretary said: "What we're asking for is a collective bargaining agreement, and that means it's for the zone of Camden, but obviously this is just a test run and if we win this we can roll it out to other zones. And what that means is that Deliveroo would have to sit down and negotiate pay and terms and conditions with the union which would be acting on behalf of the workers."

The latest move comes after private hire firm Uber lost a legal battle in which two drivers successfully argued that they were employees rather than self-employed operators. The Tribunal ruled that Uber drivers were entitled to holiday pay, rest breaks and the National Living Wage.