Evri drivers have rejected a pay deal put to them by their employer and supported by the GMB union, which included a minimum rate of £15 an hour.
Amid claims the proposed offer was unfair and relying on a methodology that was “fundamentally flawed”, Evri said it would now discuss next steps with the couriers’ union.
Delivery drivers told Motor Transport last month that they disagreed with the GMB on the deal and claimed they would face a pay cut if it went through.
Evri said the £15 guaranteed hourly rate was a minimum earnings floor, not a cap on earnings and that average earnings across the courier network were already above £20 per equivalent hour.
It said there had been a misunderstanding over its proposed pay rates.
Asked to comment on the drivers’ ballot outcome, an Evri spokesperson said: “We remain committed to constructive engagement with GMB and to supporting our self-employed couriers, who play a vital role in serving customers and communities across the UK.
“The proposed agreement represented a significant multi-million-pound investment in courier pay, benefits and protections and was the first-ever two-year agreement in Evri’s history.”
The spokesperson said it included a guaranteed minimum equivalent hourly rate of £15 nationally and £15.80 in London, as well as enhanced holiday entitlement, strengthened earnings protections through to 2028, one-off payments of up to £1,250 and expanded opportunities for couriers to join its Evri Plus programme.
The Evri spokesperson added: “We will continue to discuss next steps with GMB through our established forums, and we will be pushing to revisit discussions with the GMB as soon as possible in the coming months.”
The GMB was approached for comment.
