From: Max Value Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2026 15:33:39 +0000 (+0000) Subject: Finished 3rd round changes (for 17/03/26) X-Git-Url: https://git.ozva.co.uk/?a=commitdiff_plain;h=HEAD;p=chester Finished 3rd round changes (for 17/03/26) --- diff --git a/index.html b/index.html index f21fd19..9a3027b 100644 --- a/index.html +++ b/index.html @@ -46,7 +46,14 @@
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Riders

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Riders

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The Riders Book (PDF)

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In Their Own Words

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+ Making your way through Manchester, or any major city in Britain, it's hard to miss the Riders zipping around on chunky electric bikes with bright, colourful cubes on their backs. No matter the time, no matter the weather, they seem to be on the job. They have a constant presence in the city, yet they somehow slip under the radar, unnoticed by us unless they're in the way of our car or delivering our food. This is what interests me; the place they occupy in our city and in society at large. Out of curiosity I delved into some research and in my own amateur attempt at some political analysis I began to see these people as a newly manufactured and characteristically modern rung below our traditional working class. Workers doubly exploited by tech-corporations, hyper-exploited if you will, as both migrant workers and gig-economy workers; especially vulnerable to predatory business practices, and suffering the detriments of zero-hour employment contracts at the same time. As I began to learn more concretely about concepts such as the 'gig-economy', the 'platform economy', and about food delivery apps' behaviours (which are discussed in the second section of this book), I became very interested in speaking to people myself to learn what life as a Rider is really like. +

+

+ Over the course of the project, I spoke to a huge array of people from a massive range of social backgrounds. I spoke to foreign students, to refugees who had fled war, to people who came to the UK with dreams of achieving qualifications and building businesses, and to people who couldn't remember why they decided to come to this tiny island in the first place. The common denominator was their kindness. Whilst many were suspicious of me, thinking I must be working for one of their companies, most were very open and happy to speak to an outsider about the reality they're facing. I was offered to share coffee, some Riders offered to show me round their home countries, and whenever I bumped into a Rider I had already spoken to I was greeted warmly. +

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+

Daylight Robbery

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+ Some told me that they were happy with their jobs. Most of the time these were the younger Riders, relatively new to the job, perhaps working parttime, who seemed to not be as experienced or as worn out as the older Riders. The general consensus amongst those Riders who had been working longer was that the job is "shit." On the first day of this project I spoke to a Pakistani man who had come to the UK a few years ago as a business student hoping to start a business here after graduating. He told me about the low pay and dangerous conditions, then summed it all up in one phrase: "bad life." This man had come here with a vision of the UK in his mind that turned out to be very far from the truth. Now, he told me, he feels trapped here in a situation no better than the one he left behind. +

+ +

+ To make minimum wage, Riders must complete about four deliveries in an hour which is almost impossible due to long distances and fierce competition. As a result, most Riders end up working around eight to twelve hours a day, some working over six days a week. Many of the Riders told me about their families back home, but when I asked if they sent money to them, nearly all of them told me that they could barely make enough to survive themselves. Nearly every person I spoke to told me how difficult it was to make ends meet, many telling me that they're forced to work another job on top of delivering just to get by. Riders told me that it was "daylight robbery", and that they felt they were a "slave for Uber." When I asked them about their hopes for the future, some told me they wanted to go back home, others told me their plans of moving upwards; studying and getting qualifications or saving up for cars so that they could leave e-bike deliveries behind. However, for some Riders the only answer that they could give was that there was no future for them. "There is no future in this job, only deliveries" one guy told me. Another Rider told me he has "no hopes for the future because there's nothing I can do but work." +

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Pray For the Rain

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+ In this job, the expression that "time is money" becomes a very real and constant concern. Speed becomes your survival, and so Riders are often forced to go as fast as they can. As a result, they are constantly getting into accidents and then have no choice but to continue working. One guy I spoke to had a broken wrist and told me that if he stopped working to let it heal properly, he wouldn't have enough money to live. While I was speaking to a young student from Pakistan who had only been a Rider for a couple of weeks, he said something that was meant to be a bit of a joke, but which actually reflected a dark reality of the job. He told me "normally you pray for the nice sunny weather, but us Riders, we pray for the rain to come." When the weather is bad, people are much more likely to do two things: stay at home and order food, and drive their cars. As a result, business is always best for the Riders when the roads are at their most dangerous, when the tarmac is slick with rainwater, visibility is low, and cars are everywhere. +

+
Haseen
- "I hope to complete my postgraduate research successfully and return to my professional path as a doctor and researcher. My dream is to contribute to the medical field through both clinical practice and academic work. I want to be in a position where I can use my skills to make a difference—not just survive on side jobs. Eventually, I hope to secure a role in healthcare or research here in the UK, where my experience and education are recognized. This phase is difficult, but I believe it's just one chapter in a much bigger story." + "I hope to complete my postgraduate research successfully and return to my professional path as a doctor and researcher. My dream is to contribute to the medical field through both clinical practice and academic work. I want to be in a position where I can use my skills to make a difference-not just survive on side jobs. Eventually, I hope to secure a role in healthcare or research here in the UK, where my experience and education are recognized. This phase is difficult, but I believe it's just one chapter in a much bigger story."
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- Mohit
- "My future, my grand plan, is to quit this job. After four months I will start again in winter, because in winter work is good. Because everybody orders online, in summer everyone comes outside but in winter if the weather is right, work is very busy. In the sun rise, there is no work." -
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+

+ On one of those busy, rainy nights I spoke to Dawit, a guy who had been working as a Rider for around three years. This conversation was the first time I'd heard about people dying on the job. This fact took me by surprise, but knowing what I now know about the reality of this industry, it seems my shock was somewhat naïve. Dawit also opened up to me about the psychological effects of working as a Rider, telling me that people on the street don't respect them, and neither do most customers or restaurant workers. "I walk into a restaurant, and I feel like shit. Because we look like shit. We're exhausted." He spoke to me about the racism that he endures while working; an issue that I'd heard about from other Riders too. Racist slurs shouted through the windows of passing cars, some Riders even telling me that they'd had things thrown at them by people in cars. One guy summed it up plainly, telling me that eighty percent of people are racist towards them. Its no wonder then that the job can take a huge mental toll, especially when Riders are forced to back down from confrontations due to the apps' built in rating systems. A bad rating can directly impact the algorithm, resulting in less work. Another Rider told me how difficult and humiliating it is to have to hold your tongue when a customer is screaming at you for being late, or if an item is missing from their order. It seems obvious that these things are out of the Riders' control, but this doesn't seem to stop spiteful customers verbally abusing the people that deliver their food. +

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- Anonymous
- "This job has no special future. It is very difficult to win ahead" -
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+

Sam

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+ The same night I met Dawit, I also spoke to a man called Sam. I told him he had the same name as my Dad and he smiled. Sam had been working as a Rider for six years and the first thing he said when I asked him about the job was "its shit." He told me about how the pay had gotten dramatically worse over time, especially since the pandemic and that he now has to work between nine and twelve hours a day when he used to only work six to eight. When Sam began to speak about the dangers of the job, his eyes started to shine and well up. He told me, as I'd heard from Dawit, that it was common to have accidents and crashes up to four times a day, and that many people die on the job. But for Sam this fact was incredibly personal; over the six years he'd been working as a rider he told me that three of his friends had died in car crashes. Three people dead, yet the job remained the same he told me, just as dangerous if not more so now that wages are lower, and competition is higher. As far as the platforms are concerned, those people simply logged off and will be replaced by someone else. Sam went on to explain to me that it's not just the roads that are incredibly dangerous. Forced to work such late hours in the city centre, he and his friends constantly face the risk of street crime, from thefts to stabbings. This conversation had a profound impact on me that I would carry through the rest of the project. As I spoke to Sam and saw the emotion in his eyes, the cruelty and disregard of the Riders' companies was made tangible and vivid. I had known already that working for these companies was bad, but this interaction felt like bearing witness to the barbarity myself. +

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Permits, Police, and No-Go Zones

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- -
+

+ Many of the Riders I spoke to, or who saw me speaking to others and taking their photos, were suspicious that I might be working with the police or with their companies. Having explained the project to them, many didn't want to show their faces or be seen to be involved in what I was trying to do. I learnt from some Riders that this was probably because lots of people work on fake or shared work permits. The reason for this is that so many migrants that come into the UK are unable to obtain legitimate work permits from the government, forcing them to go down illegitimate routes. I spoke to one Rider who expanded on this, referring to a "mafia" from which Riders can buy fake work permits and other papers they might need. With no other options, people are forced into shady deals, paying fees of well over a few hundred pounds to get everything they need to appear as though they are working lawfully. +

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In Their Own Words

+

+ False permits are not the only cause for suspicion and unease. Riders are also constantly facing trouble from the police, with bike seizures being a regular occurrence. Some electric bikes are rented out from legitimate companies. Some, however, are homemade, taped and strapped together with duct tape and bungee cord, built with batteries and motors salvaged or ordered online, some of which happen to be illegal in the UK. Lots of riders told me about the enormous setbacks that police seizures cause, with bikes costing up to a thousand pounds, if not more. Not only could that be months worth of wages gone with no reprieve, it also forces Riders to stop working for however long it takes them to get back up and running again. +

- Making your way through Manchester, or any major city in Britain, it’s hard to miss the Riders zipping around on chunky electric bikes with bright, colourful cubes on their backs. No matter the time, no matter the weather, they seem to be on the job. They have a constant presence in the city, yet they somehow slip under the radar, unnoticed by us unless they’re in the way of our car or delivering our food. This is what interests me; the place they occupy in our city and in society at large. Out of curiosity I delved into some research and in my own amateur attempt at some political analysis I began to see these people as a newly manufactured and characteristically modern rung below our traditional working class. Workers doubly exploited by tech-corporations, hyper-exploited if you will, as both migrant workers and gig-economy workers; especially vulnerable to predatory business practices, and suffering the detriments of zero-hour employment contracts at the same time. As I began to learn more concretely about concepts such as the ‘gig-economy’, the ‘platform economy’, and about food delivery apps’ behaviours (which are discussed in the second section of this book), I became very interested in speaking to people myself to learn what life as a Rider is really like. + After taking a photo of a Rider named Muzzamil, we shook hands, and he rode off. A few seconds later, a police car hurtled past me and shouted at him to pull over. A policeman got out of the car and immediately began inquiring about his bike. Muzzamil explained that all the parts of the bike were legal, and that he'd made it himself. The policeman realised he'd made a mistake and walked back to his car. "You scared me, man!" shouted Muzzamil to the officer, clearly having thought his livelihood might've been taken from him a few seconds ago. "That's my job!" the policeman shouted back.

Mohit
- My future, my grand plan, is to quit this job. After four months I will start again in winter, because in winter work is good. Because everybody orders online, in summer everyone comes outside but in winter if the weather is right, work is very busy. In the sun rise, there is no work. + "My future, my grand plan, is to quit this job. After four months I will start again in winter, because in winter work is good. Because everybody orders online, in summer everyone comes outside but in winter if the weather is right, work is very busy. In the sun rise, there is no work."
+ srcset="/media/photos_960/mohit.jpg, + /media/photos_1920/mohit.jpg x2, + /media/photos_3840/mohit.jpg x4" + src="/media/photos_3840/mohit.jpg" />
- -

- Over the course of the project, I spoke to a huge array of people from a massive range of social backgrounds. I spoke to foreign students, to refugees who had fled war, to people who came to the UK with dreams of achieving qualifications and building businesses, and to people who couldn’t remember why they decided to come to this tiny island in the first place. The common denominator was their kindness. Whilst many were suspicious of me, thinking I must be working for one of their companies, most were very open and happy to speak to an outsider about the reality they’re facing. I was offered to share coffee, some Riders offered to show me round their home countries, and whenever I bumped into a Rider I had already spoken to I was greeted warmly. -

- - - - -

Pray For the Rain

-

- In this job, the expression that “time is money” becomes a very real and constant concern. Speed becomes your survival, and so Riders are often forced to go as fast as they can. As a result, they are constantly getting into accidents and then have no choice but to continue working. One guy I spoke to had a broken wrist and told me that if he stopped working to let it heal properly, he wouldn’t have enough money to live. While I was speaking to a young student from Pakistan who had only been a Rider for a couple of weeks, he said something that was meant to be a bit of a joke, but which actually reflected a dark reality of the job. He told me “normally you pray for the nice sunny weather, but us Riders, we pray for the rain to come.” When the weather is bad, people are much more likely to do two things: stay at home and order food, and drive their cars. As a result, business is always best for the Riders when the roads are at their most dangerous, when the tarmac is slick with rainwater, visibility is low, and cars are everywhere. + Of course, the police aren't the only ones taking bikes away from Riders. Another harsh reality of the job is bike thefts. A ridiculous amount of Riders told me that they'd had their bikes stolen or that they'd had run ins with bike thieves. Many told me that they had their own personal no-go areas, parts of the city that they had heard bad stories about, or where they'd been targeted themselves. Stories of stabbings, would-be thieves wielding machetes, and gangs of teenagers swarming Riders trying to pull them off their bikes. One Rider, a man called Ahmed, spoke to me about an experience he had riding through Rusholme. He told me about how a group of men had attempted to steal his bike, trying to hit him off with a baseball bat. Ahmed said that he had no choice but to literally fight his way out, saying that he couldn't believe he had managed to escape. This appears to be a reality for many Riders, forced to quite literally fight for their livelihoods, whilst also having to ignore orders from certain neighbourhoods. And those who are especially desperate have no choice but to take those orders, risking great danger.

- On one of those busy, rainy nights I spoke to Ta Me, a guy who had been working as a Rider for around three years. This conversation was the first time I’d heard about people dying on the job. This fact took me by surprise, but knowing what I now know about the reality of this industry, it seems my shock was somewhat naïve. Ta Me also opened up to me about the psychological effects of working as a Rider, telling me that people on the street don’t respect them, and neither do most customers or restaurant workers. “I walk into a restaurant, and I feel like shit. Because we look like shit. We’re exhausted.” He spoke to me about the racism that he endures while working; an issue that I’d heard about from other Riders too. Racist slurs shouted through the windows of passing cars, some Riders even telling me that they’d had things thrown at them by people in cars. One guy summed it up plainly, telling me that eighty percent of people are racist towards them. Its no wonder then that the job can take a huge mental toll, especially when Riders are forced to back down from confrontations due to the apps’ built in rating systems. A bad rating can directly impact the algorithm, resulting in less work. Another Rider, a Mexican man named Christian, told me how difficult and humiliating it is to have to hold your tongue when a customer is screaming at you for being late, or if an item is missing from their order. It seems obvious that these things are out of the Riders’ control, but this doesn’t seem to stop spiteful customers verbally abusing the people that deliver their food. + To me, the conditions faced by the people I spoke to over the course of this project, are a sinister manifestation of our modern, neocolonial, capitalist society. A society characterised by algorithmic exploitation, the rise of 'techno-oligarchs', and the exploitative and colonial systems of old taking on new forms. As a result, a new group of workers has arisen. A group that faces constant danger and disregard with very little reward. What seems plainly true to me now is that the Riders are both hyper-exploited and under-appreciated in ways in which most people will never learn about. Even those who do learn will most likely never truly understand what the reality is like for these people. The purpose of this project is to help bring as many people as possible, including myself, closer to understanding that reality.

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References

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- Criddle, Cristina. (2023) UK Supreme Court Rules Deliveroo Riders Are Not Workers in an Employment Relationship. Financial Times, Retrived 21 Nov. 2023 www.ft.com/content/c8668b27-d302-4055-89c1-59fd034d1d60 -

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- Dempsey, Jemma, and Faarea Masud. (2024). Deliveroo and Uber Eats Riders Strike on Valentine’s Day. BBC News, Retrived 12 Feb. 2024 www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68274158 -

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- Jolly, Jasper. (2021) Deliveroo Unveils Plans to Pull out of Spain in Wake of “Rider Law.” The Guardian, Retrived 30 July 2021 www.theguardian.com/business/2021/jul/30/deliveroo-unveils-plans-to-pull-out-of-spain-in-wake-of-rider-law -

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- Skelton, Sebastian Klovig. (2022). Deliveroo Accused of “Soft Union Busting” with GMB Deal | Computer Weekly. ComputerWeekly.com, Retrived 19 May 2022 www.computerweekly.com/news/252518353/Deliveroo-accused-of-soft-union-busting-with-GMB-deal -

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- Smythe, Polly. (2024). No Love for Deliveroo”: Food Couriers in Massive Valentine’s Day Strike. Novara Media, Accessed 15 Feb. 2024 novaramedia.com/2024/02/15/no-love-for-deliveroo-food-couriers-in-a-massive-valentines-day-strike/ -

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- Sturge, G. (2024). Migration Statistics. commonslibrary.parliament.uk. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn06077/ -

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- Timko, P., & van Melik, R. (2021). Being a Deliveroo Rider: Practices of Platform Labor in Nijmegen and Berlin. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 50(4), 497-523. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891241621994670 -

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- Umer, Hamza. (2021). Illusory Freedom of Physical Platform Workers: Insights from Uber Eats in Japan. The Economic and Labour Relations Review, vol. 32(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/1035304621992466 -

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Riders Quotes

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Cristian

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- My hope for the future is that finally people, especially the working class people, can have the opportunity to understand his role in the history so we can eradicate the idea of borders and banal nationalistic feelings that divide us all around the world. In that way we can build a society free of any kind of discrimination and be able to have societies where the basic needs would not be an obstacle to have free time and develop other capabilities as art, music, philosophy, etc. and anyone can explore their own happiness without any economic, political or cultural restrain. Then we could have a world free of wars and classes. But my hope in short term is that Palestine and its people could have the opportunity to live in peace and have sovereignty of their own land. -

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Mohit

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- My future, my grand plan, is to quit this job. After four months I will start again in winter, because in winter work is good. Because everybody orders online, in summer everyone comes outside but in winter if the weather is right, work is very busy. In the sun rise, there is no work. -

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Hamza

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-My future hobbies or goals are to become a marathon runner and win a gold medal in the Olympics. Secondly, I want to become a content creator around the world. Discover what is on this planet and its cultures. -

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Haseen

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How do you feel about being a delivery driver?
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- Being a delivery driver while studying in the UK is a humbling experience—especially because I’m a qualified doctor in my home country. It's not just a job; it's a survival tool in a high-cost environment. There are days when I go straight from university research to delivery routes, with barely a moment to breathe. Emotionally, it's tough to reconcile my professional background with the work I do now. But I try to focus on the bigger picture—this is temporary, and I’m doing what I must to build a better future. -
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What is your experience as a migrant worker in the UK?
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- As a migrant and an international postgraduate student, life in the UK has been incredibly challenging. Despite being a doctor back home and actively pursuing research here, I find myself in low-income jobs just to pay for essentials. It’s disheartening when your qualifications don’t hold the same weight, and you're constantly trying to prove yourself in every setting. I feel like I’m living two lives: one in pursuit of academic excellence, and the other just fighting to stay afloat financially. It’s mentally and emotionally exhausting. -
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Have you ever been in danger whilst working as a delivery driver?
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- Yes, there have been times I felt unsafe while working as a delivery driver—especially during late-night shifts or when delivering to isolated or poorly lit areas. Even something as simple as traffic or dealing with aggressive behavior can turn risky. One of the most dangerous aspects is the fatigue—after long hours at university, driving around in all weather conditions becomes physically and mentally risky. Thankfully, I’ve managed to stay safe, but the uncertainty is always there. -
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What are your hopes for the future?
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- I hope to complete my postgraduate research successfully and return to my professional path as a doctor and researcher. My dream is to contribute to the medical field through both clinical practice and academic work. I want to be in a position where I can use my skills to make a difference—not just survive on side jobs. Eventually, I hope to secure a role in healthcare or research here in the UK, where my experience and education are recognized. This phase is difficult, but I believe it’s just one chapter in a much bigger story. -
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