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French Deliveroo cyclists urge boycott in pay dispute

Paris (AFP) –

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The cyclists whisking meals for the food courier service Deliveroo in France called on clients to boycott the brand Wednesday, after management imposed new pay rules they say will lower their wages.

"Today we want clients to know what's going on. Just for today, we're asking them not to order via Deliveroo or to connect to the site, to support the movement," said Jean-Daniel Zamor, president of the firm's Paris collective of riders.

Zamor said the wheeled couriers would also gather Wednesday night at the Place de la Republique for a protest, which would be followed by efforts to block deliveries from several restaurants.

Riders have already been carrying out blockages and protests in recent days, after British-based Deliveroo said it would no longer guarantee a minimum of 4.70 euros ($5.25) per delivery in Paris -- a rate that changes for each city.

The company also cut pay for shorter trips while increasing it for longer routes, which many of the riders shun because they aren't worth the effort.

"Deliveroo was the platform that paid more or less the best, but now it's aligning itself with its rivals," Zamor said. "It's increasing insecurity for the entire sector."

Like other big cities around the world, Paris and other French hubs such as Marseille have seen a proliferation of food delivery bikes and mopeds zipping around the streets in recent years.

Usually the couriers are freelance workers who have often battled for a guaranteed number of hours' work and other benefits.

Deliveroo France says the new pay rules will lead to higher earnings for "more than 54 percent of all orders."

Zamor rejected the claim, saying the new system would cut riders' earnings by 30 to 50 percent.

France is the second-largest market for Deliveroo, operating in 200 cities with 10,000 restaurant partners.

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