Fianna Fáil Senator Mary Fitzpatrick is calling for safer streets and greater employment protection for Deliveroo workers.
Senator Fitzpatrick commented, “During the pandemic we’ve all become more reliant on home deliveries and Deliveroo workers have brought us all our favourite take away and groceries and other deliveries to the comfort of our home or places of work. It’s been an invaluable service throughout the pandemic.
“Unfortunately, Deliveroo workers have also become real targets of serious antisocial behaviour and violence on the streets of our inner city.
“It’s completely unacceptable and all of the community of the inner city are very upset over this. We are working with the Gardaí and the Deliveroo workers and community activists to try and address it.
“We’re a really diverse community here in the North inner city, probably the most diverse community in the whole country. Everyone regardless of their nationality, sex or occupation should be able to expect to live and work in Dublin’s north inner city without fear of violence.”
The Senator added, “Separately there is an issue around the terms of their employment. It’s very precarious in its nature. It affords them little or no protections and little or none of the basic employment rights that one would expect.
“I’m going to continue to work with the Deliveroo workers, the Gardaí and all of the community stakeholders to ensure that the inner city is a safer place for us all to live and work.”
Senator Fitzpatrick has submitted a motion for debate in the Seanad for the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to come to the house and outline what action his department is taking to address the precarious, dangerous and exploitative working conditions of Deliveroo workers.
