Takeaway delivery drivers working for Uber Eats, Just Eat and Deliveroo in Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield are striking today over a pay dispute.

More than 100 drivers will stop work, take no food orders and gather near The Howard Centre in WGC during the 24-hour strike, as they demand fairer pay, with the cost of living crisis hitting them hard.

Among the drivers striking is Matthew Essam, who told the Welwyn Hatfield Times fees have dropped by 60 per cent and he is struggling to look after his four-year-old son.

“Two years ago, our fees were on average 60 per cent higher than they are now,” he said.

“You could work four to five hours and make £100, but now drivers have to work in excess of 12 hours to make that money.

“The price of fuel has doubled, drivers are finding it incredibly hard to keep their houses warm, to feed their children, and to pay their bills.

“I myself am struggling as a single dad with a four-year-old boy, and it’s nearly impossible. Without support from family and friends I wouldn’t survive.

“We want fair pay, we want a pay rise not a pay cut, we want adequate pay for the mileage we are doing, we want to end unfair untrialled contract terminations.

“We want to be treated with respect from the restaurants, and the platforms, we want to be paid for the time spend waiting in the restaurants.”

Matthew confirmed that despite efforts to contact executives at Uber Eats, Just Eat and Deliveroo, the drivers’ cries are being ‘ignored’ by the companies.

The Welwyn Hatfield Times received a short statement from Just Eat after this newspaper contacted the company about the strikes.

"We take any concerns raised by couriers on our network seriously,” said a spokeswoman.

“We provide a highly competitive base rate to self-employed couriers and also offer regular incentives to help them maximise their earnings.

“We continue to review our pay structure regularly and welcome any feedback from couriers.”

Deliveroo also responded to our request, with a spokeswoman saying: “In Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield, the overwhelming majority of riders - over 80 per cent - say they are satisfied with riding for Deliveroo.

"Our way of working is designed around what riders tell us matters to them most - flexibility - with riders paid for each delivery they choose to complete and they always earn more than the national minimum wage while working with us. In most cases, riders earn significantly more than this.

"We also have a dedicated rider team in place who are on hand to help riders with any concerns they have and make sure they feel supported at all times.”