The number of working adults in England and Wales working for gig economy companies is now two-and-a-half times bigger than in 2016. What do deliverymen think about the prons and cons of their jobs?
How often do you receive parcels from online shopping every week? As more and more people choose online shopping other than brick-and-motor stores. Gig economy has emerged in recent years as there is a strong rise in working population among couriers.
The number of working adults in England and Wales working for gig economy companies such as Amazon and Uber has reached 4.4 million whilst its percentage paid by these platforms has jumped from 6% in 2016 to 15% now, according to a recent research.
Whether gig economy is good for all is controversial. “The gig economy brings people more job opportunities and can offer flexibility, but many gig workers also experience lower pay and poor conditions,” said Prof Neil Spencer, who co-authored the research.
How do people think about increase number in gig-working and its most representative delivery industry? We asked some deliverymen in Cardiff why they choose this job and how tough life is as a deliveryman.
Stefan, 35, deliveryman from Deliveroo
I become a deliveryman just because I want to survive. It is just a job. I do this job only to care for my family. Every day I deliver parcels for people and exactly do the same thing. I do this job only to care for my family. But what I hold in mind everyday is “Happy company, happy restaurant and happy customer.”
Bob, 49, deliveryman from FedEx
I choose this job just because I can’t do anything else. I have taken it as my full-time job for over 20 years. It is really hard work and I was paid very little per hour. I think it has no advantage at all but I have no choice. I can only do that.
Jonevans,44, deliveryman from Stuart
I lost my job in a charity shop last November. I embark on delivery from this February. I think switching to delivery has both pros and cons. It is more flexible as I can come and go whenever I want. I am making more money than before. I can earn 20 pounds per hour in busy days. But this job is not that stable. Sometimes if the weather is bad I cannot earn a lot. Last week I had an injury on my knee so I had to see the doctor and followed by a week off.
Lonud, 25, deliveryman from Deliveroo
I think it is not a hard job and I can make easy money. I work for averagely 12 hours a day but actually time is flexible. I can do it as much as I can. But sometimes I have to spend more than 10 minutes to find the customer. That may be awful. The earning depends on how many orders I can take and the distance of the order. It’s about 10 to 15 pounds per hour.
Atanas, 24, deliveryman from Deliveroo
I really like it because it’s flexible working time and I can do other things whenever I like. I can also earn money from delivery to develop other things. I am a musician and I think delivery can serve my musical stuff. But I think there is something bad. We have not enough sick pay and medical insurance. I have a fellow friend. He got an accident from delivery but the company paid him very less. On the whole, I think earning up to 25 pound per hour is quite a lot.