Deliveroo informed the Irish Government more than two years ago that it was aware of a strong interest among international students in working on its platform, despite legal restrictions preventing them from holding accounts. Correspondence reveals that the food delivery company conveyed to Leo Varadkar, who was the tánaiste and minister for enterprise at the time, that the flexibility of their platform was a significant attraction for English language students in Ireland on stamp two visas.
These students are legally allowed to work for up to 20 hours per week during term time and are not permitted to be self-employed. However, many delivery riders, especially from non-EEA countries like Brazil, have become a crucial part of the food delivery industry, often associated with low wages and risky working conditions.
In a letter dated March 10th, 2021, Deliveroo Ireland’s general manager, Paddy Quinlan, expressed that the law prohibiting Stamp 2 visa holders from being self-employed posed a significant challenge for international students who needed to earn income to support their studies.
Last week, it was reported that some non-EEA students were subletting accounts from intermediaries, paying fees of €50-150 per week. This doesn’t include a 20 percent charge on income that some account holders impose, supposedly for tax purposes.
A spokesperson for Deliveroo emphasized that all riders must have the right to work as self-employed in Ireland to have an account with them. The company takes this requirement very seriously and has stringent checks and processes in place to ensure compliance.
Deliveroo has suggested that the Irish Government consider changes to employment legislation to adapt to the evolving nature of work, aiming to prevent any abuse of the current system and enable more individuals to benefit from flexible, self-employed work.
In its 2021 “charter for flexible and secure work,” Deliveroo defended its employment conditions, stating that they are well-suited for individuals with other commitments, with around 50 percent of riders being students and 20 percent having caregiving responsibilities.
Records from the Department of Enterprise indicate that Deliveroo met with Leo Varadkar and then Minister of State Damien English to advocate for changes to the proposed European Union directive on digital labor platforms. The company argued that the current EU proposals, including the presumption of employment, jeopardize genuine self-employment.
Fiachra Ó Luain, co-founder of the English Language Students Union, criticized Deliveroo’s approach, suggesting that the company was using misleading language with lawmakers and the public. He called for companies like Deliveroo to pay workers fairly instead of attempting to change the law to enable precarious work.
Mr. Ó Luain also urged the new RTÉ director general, Kevin Bakhurst, to prohibit any company that doesn’t pay workers minimum wage from advertising or sponsoring programs on the national broadcaster, amid ongoing debates about pay disparities at RTÉ.