DPD has announced a new self-employed worker contract and a pledge that all its drivers will receive the equivalent of at least the Real Living Wage. The launch of the new Driver Code follows an internal review, consultation with hundreds of the carrier’s drivers and input from leading figures in the Labour movement.
The changes are aimed at improving every aspect working relationships, from the type of contract they choose to the van they drive. At the core of the new Code is the option for all drivers to be able to choose how they contract with DPD. All drivers will be able to choose if they want to be employed directly by DPD, be a self-employed franchisee or become a self-employed worker.
The Driver Code represents a complete reappraisal of every aspect of our driver package. Our aim is simple – to make DPD the carrier of choice for delivery drivers and for our drivers to be the best rewarded in the industry. The feedback we’ve already had from the depots suggests we are on the right track.
But we’ve made it very clear that we think it should be about driver choice. Loads of our drivers tell us they still love the self-employed franchisee model because of the flexibility and the capacity to earn significantly more. While we’ve been able to improve this contract further as part of this review, we recognise that it isn’t for everyone.
– Dwain McDonald, CEO of DPD
With the rise of the likes of Deliveroo and Uber, there’s no question that the gig economy is here to stay. And it certainly has attractions for some people who enjoy the flexibility and freedom to work in different ways. But there is also a sense that some bigger organisation haven’t always played fair by gig workers. Rather like some big employers who use the zero hour contracts as standard, they do it for what they can get and not because it’s the best system.
This is an enlightened move from DPD and the employee offering is attractive. The question is whether it will mean improved standards (and DPD are a solid provider already) and we rather think it might.
