More than one in three self employed delivery drivers are paid below the minimum wage, a shocking new report shows.
The University of Sheffield paper - Work and Employment in UK Last Mile Parcel Delivery - spoke to almost 1,500 couriers of a two year period, many of whom are GMB members.
Of those, 35 per cent of self employed drivers estimated they earn less than the National Minimum Wage – as well as facing significant costs, including fuel, insurance, vehicle maintenance and mobile phones.
Nicola Savage, GMB National Officer, said:
"GMB Union and progressive companies have made massive strides in improving pay, terms and conditions in the delivery sector.
"Yet despite this, last mile deliveries remain a wild west, with many contractors locked in a race to the bottom.
"We call on all delivery companies to work with GMB to improve standards for couriers across the UK."
