Up to 3,000 drivers and riders are reportedly involved in the action, which affects four food apps, including Uber Eats and Deliveroo, on Wednesday between 17:00 and 22:00 GMT.
The BBC was informed by one participating rider that their salary was “absolutely ridiculous”.
“At least the national living wage” is what Deliveroo claims its riders “always earn.”
The protest, which was organized by a grassroots organization of couriers, aims to raise awareness of the working conditions and low pay that many riders encounter when delivering groceries and meals in UK cities.
The organisation Delivery Job UK posted on its Instagram page, “Sacrificing a few hours for our rights is essential, instead of continuing to work incessantly for insufficient wages.”
“We only ask that we be fairly compensated for the labor we perform. We’re sick of living in constant danger and being taken advantage of… It’s time that we make our voices heard.”
Just Eat and Stuart.com will also be impacted, in addition to Deliveroo and Uber Eats, as drivers who typically compete across many apps for delivery planning will decline to accept orders.
The initiative will not be limited to the UK.
According to Justice for App, drivers in the US for Uber, Lyft, and food delivery services will also take a two-hour break on Wednesday.
The organizers announced that in ten major cities, including Chicago and Miami, members would not be providing rides to and from the airport.
According to Delivery Job UK, its delivery drivers were enduring “ridiculous values,” which ranged from £2.80 to £3.15, in exchange for deliveries despite the “cold, rain, and absurd distances.”
Striking Deliveroo riders requested a rise of at least £5, a group representative told the BBC. The pricing schemes used by the other businesses varies.
“Deliveroo has reduced its prices. There’s no longer any motivation. The representative stated, “On a Friday night, you could make £100 in four to five hours. Now that’s gone.”
