Deliveroo to modify employee contracts after parliamentary pressure

Takeaway firm Deliveroo has responded to pressure from parliament by revising and simplifying the contracts offered to its delivery drivers.

The UK Work and Pensions committee last month accused several gig economy firms of manipulating drivers into signing away their employment rights, through the use of deliberately confusing contracts. Among those mentioned were Uber, Deliveroo and Amazon.

Now Deliveroo has removed a clause in its worker contracts which stipulated that employees could not challenge their self-employed status at an employment tribunal.

The company's new contracts will now only be four pages long and give delivery drivers more flexibility in working with other firms.

Deliveroo managing director Dan Warne released a letter to the company's employees on Thursday, in which it outlined its new stance.

"We know that many riders work with other companies as well as Deliveroo, including our competitors," the letter said. "That is fine with us: as an independent contractor you are free to work with whoever you choose and wear whatever kit you want."

"This new simple supplier agreement for riders makes it easier than ever to work with Deliveroo. It makes clear that our riders are able to log in to work with us whenever they want - allowing them to fit their work around their life rather than their life around their work."

Labour MP and chair of the W&P committee had criticised gig-economy contracts as "unintelligible".