On-demand UK grocery firms plan to switch riders back to gig contracts

Couriers will be moved to cheaper insecure deals after government fails on promise to bring in new employment bill

Rapid grocery delivery firms are preparing to move hundreds of couriers paid by the hour on to insecure gig-economy contracts as the threat of tougher regulations has receded, industry sources have warned.

Ministers have failed to bring in a modern employment bill with protections for gig-economy workers, despite promising to introduce new legislation at least 20 times since reforms were first mentioned in the Queen's speech in 2019.