Ocado Drivers Are Fighting to Unionise the Gig Economy
Last month, Ocado Zoom drivers made headlines for organising against rock-bottom pay and outsourcing of their jobs. Now, they are unionising – and determined to win better.
8 Articles by:
Polly Smythe
Polly Smythe is a freelance journalist. Her work has appeared in the Guardian and VICE.
How Amazon Is Remaking Our World
A new book explores the ways that corporate giant Amazon is remaking our cities and towns – from overcrowded homes for low-income workers to the gentrification that accompanies its vast developments.
They Don’t Care About Key Workers
Last week, research showed that a million children of key workers live in poverty – the paltry 3% pay rise offered to NHS staff shows how little the government plans to do about it.
Deliveroo’s Courier Cops
Deliveroo’s new partnership with Neighbourhood Watch offers riders training in how to spot crimes, to ‘keep communities safe’ – but the company’s treatment of its workers shows it couldn’t care less about community.
Be Nice to Service Workers Today
A recent survey of retail staff showed 9 in 10 faced abuse during Covid-19, often for attempting to ensure social distancing – as pubs and shops reopen, it’s time to treat the workers who run them with respect.
After the Pandemic, It’s Time to End the Marketisation of the Public Sector
Covid-19 has seen plenty of empty rhetoric about ‘key workers,’ but unless the public sector is judged by its contribution to care and community little will change – and that means an end to the market ethos.
The Council Tax Debt Crisis
An estimated 3.5 million people in the UK are in council tax arrears – more than half of them as a result of the pandemic. It’s the latest Covid economic fallout that threatens to widen inequality.
How Covid Turned Cashiers into Carers
As months of social isolation continue, retail staff are finding their jobs shifting from customer service to caring – a sign of depleted social infrastructure caused by ruthless cutbacks.