Marcus Rashford to hold talks with Deliveroo over workers’ rights
Marcus Rashford is reportedly set to hold discussions with Deliveroo amid rising concerns about the way the delivery giant treats its workers.
Deliveroo has come under scrutiny in recent days after it emerged many of its riders were not earning minimum wage.
A string of major investors have also distanced themselves from the company’s blockbuster £9bn float, citing concerns about employment issues.
Now the Manchester United striker is wading into the row and will hold discussions with the company, the Mirror reported.
Deliveroo is a major backer of Rashford’s End Child Poverty campaign and also sponsors the England football team kit.
It is not the football star’s first foray into politics. In November he forced an embarrassing U-turn by the government over its decision to scrap free school meals.
The intervention is likely to cause a further headache for Deliveroo, which is facing an investor backlash over its treatment of workers.
Legal & General Investment Management, M&G, BMO Global and Aberdeen Standard are among the high-profile institutional investors that have distanced themselves from the company’s float due to uncertainty over workers’ rights and potential employment law cases.
Deliveroo, whose riders are self-employed, could face a challenge over how it classes its riders after a landmark Supreme Court ruling forced Uber to grant its drivers worker status.
BMO described the employment issue as a “ticking time bomb” that made the company “uninvestable”.
It comes after new figures revealed many of Deliveroo’s riders are paid less than the minimum wage.
An analysis of thousands of invoices by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism found one in three delivery workers made less than £8.72, the national minimum wage for over-25s.
A Deliveroo spokesperson said: “Deliveroo has received very significant demand from institutions across the globe. The roadshow began on Monday and the deal was covered by demand across the full price range by the end of the first morning.
“Demand has continued to build since then, including via our community offer, and we look forward to welcoming new shareholders next week alongside our currently highly respected existing investors.”