Thread by @IWGB_CLB

‼SUPPORTERS‼

We have an update with recent events in our #ShameOnOcado campaign [THREAD]👇👇

Read to the end to find out how to can offer solidarity to these workers!✊

Following the launch of our campaign and the publication of the Ocado Report dated 8th September 2021, new posters have gone up in the Acton warehouse. 1 side of A4 has been expanded to 3 sides, but the info is largely the same, just arranged as an FAQ. Importantly however... 1/

the poster reads that drivers who transfer to the agency will be offered direct employment with Ocado “after one week”. We're hopeful this is a typo and means “within one week”, but that is not what the poster says; drivers could be offered in-house in 2 weeks or in 2 years! 2/

This could be an intentional blunder so that later on Ocado can say “we never promised you direct employment very quickly, we will take our time, see we said AFTER one week”. Or it could be a genuine error & the use of the Agency is going to be very short. We just don’t know. 3/

Either way, our members are furious that Ocado have rushed this process through yet another 3rd party (employment agency Job And Talent), as they view moving to an agency as detrimental to their current situation. 4/

They feel forced to move to J&T though, because their current employer Ryde, sent an email this week saying their contract terminated on Oct 4th, so by default everyone will have to have found some alternative income by then. 5/

Worse still, Ryde are blaming their hard-working couriers for their own managerial incompetence and have started a PR campaign claiming their riders are employees🤯Someone send them s230 of the Employment Rights Act so they can do some basic homework-they’re clearly confused! 6/

Further, Ocado have got J&T to *recruit* drivers via their app. The details of the job are inconsistent - at one point it reads max Weight per job will be 12kg✅, but elsewhere it's 18kg!🛑
Seems like their hedging their bets to continue working these guys to the bone! 7/

Similarly the job advert has little information - saying contracts will offer full time, part time and fully flexible roles. This is meaningless & makes it very hard to actually assess whether it’s worth applying. Fully flexible sounds like 0-hr contracts which no one wants! 8/

Our members need flexibility, but as part of guaranteed hours, so they can look after their family members whenever required, and work long hours to make enough money to live on! 9/

The current offer of LLW for (what we assume will be) a 40-hour week, taxed via PAYE, will mean ~£340 per week pay after tax: which is not enough to live on! Our members demanded £16/hour, using their own vehicles (many of which are green vehicles) & to remain self employed 10/

Drivers have seen the number of diesel agency vans increase in the depot this week, causing chaos as drivers struggle to park, vans breakdown and the whole mode looks like it won’t work. 11/

We wonder why on earth they’re buying so many diesel vehicles when they made such a big noise over green deliveries, coerced our members to buy green vehicles at their own cost, and now they’re buying loads of diesel vans!? These guys are rookies. 12/

This is completely contrary to what the law obliges employers to do when contracting out, or in, a group of workers. The TUPE Regulations 2006 is the relevant legislation and Ocado should be ensuring these workers are informed, consulted and transferred in accordingly. 13/

Neither Ryde, J&T or Ocado are currently following the TUPE Regs.😡 14/

On the plus side, we have had huge amounts of support from the public and MPs for our #ShameOnOcado campaign. You guys have sent a whopping 400 letters to Ocado calling them out! We have raised £1731 for our strike fund, and are getting more supporters by the day! 15/

We have had an increasing number of MPs be outspoken and vocal about their support, and Leaders of Ealing Council have also come down to the site to support the drivers and have written to Ocado to ask them to negotiate with @IWGBunion! 16/

Ocado should have the courtesy to allow all drivers to be directly employed on the old (pre Ryde) pay rates, hours, & on Limb B contracts so they can keep using their own vehicles & pay tax as self employed workers!

This is a workable model; Ocado listen to your workforce!! 17/

HOW TO SUPPORT THESE WORKERS!✊

✉Write a letter to Tim Steiner and the M&S board, calling out Ocado's shameful actions👉actionnetwork.org/letters/shame-…

💷Donate to our strike fund, if you are able to!👉actionnetwork.org/fundraising/st…

END 18/18 #ShameOnOcado