[UK] DPD accused of ‘revenge’ sacking drivers for criticism of pay cuts

In the UK, the delivery firm DPD has been accused of “revenge” sackings following actions towards workers who spoke out against a plan to cut thousands of pounds from their earnings, including their Christmas bonus, The Guardian reports.

DPD reported pre-tax profits of nearly £200m in 2024. According to The Guardian, the company, which is an integral part of the festive parcel rush, has even threatened to withhold money from some staff to cover the cost of replacing them.

DPD reportedly confirmed the dismissal of workers after an estimated 1,500 self-employed drivers chose not to take on any work for three days in protest at the plans.

Earlier this month, it was revealed that the company had told workers it planned to cut 65p from the rate it pays for the majority of deliveries on 29 September.

Drivers said the cut, totalling as much as £25 a day, and the loss of a £500 Christmas bonus, was likely to add up to more than £6,000 a year for each worker. This figure rose to as much as £8,000 for those who take on far more deliveries over Christmas.

Many drivers expressed their intention not to work for the company for three days. Following a meeting with workers’ representatives, DPD reportedly agreed to defer the rate cut until after Christmas, but insisted it would still be implemented. 

However, within weeks of the meeting, drivers claimed that management had started to move against people they deemed “ringleaders”.

“Now that we have shown them up publicly, they’re just trying to assert dominance and trying to control the free will of drivers they don’t want to employ,” one sacked driver, Dean Hawkins, told The Guardian.

Mr Hawkins was involved in organising the action and was reportedly informed by a DPD manager that he had been fired for allegedly breaching a gagging clause in his contract. “It’s a revenge act to assert dominance for us humiliating them,” he said.

A DPD spokesperson said, “We can confirm that we have terminated our relationship with eight supplier companies following a breach of contract.”

Source: The Guardian

(Link and quotes via original reporting)

In the UK, the delivery firm DPD has been accused of “revenge” sackings following actions towards workers who spoke out against a plan to cut thousands of pounds from their earnings, including their Christmas bonus, The Guardian reports.

DPD reported pre-tax profits of nearly £200m in 2024. According to The Guardian, the company, which is an integral part of the festive parcel rush, has even threatened to withhold money from some staff to cover the cost of replacing them.

DPD reportedly confirmed the dismissal of workers after an estimated 1,500 self-employed drivers chose not to take on any work for three days in protest at the plans.

Earlier this month, it was revealed that the company had told workers it planned to cut 65p from the rate it pays for the majority of deliveries on 29 September.

Drivers said the cut, totalling as much as £25 a day, and the loss of a £500 Christmas bonus, was likely to add up to more than £6,000 a year for each worker. This figure rose to as much as £8,000 for those who take on far more deliveries over Christmas.

Many drivers expressed their intention not to work for the company for three days. Following a meeting with workers’ representatives, DPD reportedly agreed to defer the rate cut until after Christmas, but insisted it would still be implemented. 

However, within weeks of the meeting, drivers claimed that management had started to move against people they deemed “ringleaders”.

“Now that we have shown them up publicly, they’re just trying to assert dominance and trying to control the free will of drivers they don’t want to employ,” one sacked driver, Dean Hawkins, told The Guardian.

Mr Hawkins was involved in organising the action and was reportedly informed by a DPD manager that he had been fired for allegedly breaching a gagging clause in his contract. “It’s a revenge act to assert dominance for us humiliating them,” he said.

A DPD spokesperson said, “We can confirm that we have terminated our relationship with eight supplier companies following a breach of contract.”

Source: The Guardian

(Link and quotes via original reporting)