Ocado Zoom

Rupa Huq Excerpts

Tuesday 9th November 2021 Commons Chamber

[Dr Rupa Huq (Ealing Central and Acton) (Lab)]

I rise to present a petition, on behalf of not just the constituent signatories but the 80 or so delivery drivers at the Ocado Zoom plant in Acton who, having worked throughout the pandemic, kept the company going and kept the capital going by delivering key food supplies, now find that they are being turfed out and frozen out for not accepting very punishing new terms and conditions. They are being replaced by third-party workers against the promises that they would be taken in-house. The petition notes that profits and business have deteriorated since all this started, as the company is putting profit over people. I have to say, the CEO has been donating lots of money to the Conservative party. I hope those things are not related.

The petition states:

The petition of residents of the constituency of Ealing Central and Acton.

Declares that Ocado has not followed through on its promise to cease the use of third-party employment and transfer the workforce from 4 October 2021; further that the majority of deliveries are currently carried out by the third-party agency “Job and Talent”; further that Ocado Zoom offers no flexibility despite promises to provide fully-flexible contracts; notes that Ocado Zoom’s business has deteriorated because of the failure to implement the transfer of workers; and notes that Ocado Zoom continues to engage in exploitative practices and anti-trade union behaviour as they continue to prioritise profit over the working conditions of its staff.

The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to consider the concerns of the petitioners and take immediate action to ensure that Ocado engage with delivery drivers’ chosen trade union, the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB), in order to resolve the current dispute; further that the Government should press Ocado Zoom to avoid further job losses of key workers.

And the petitioners remain, etc.

[P002697]