DELIVERY workers at Ocado voted to launch a new campaign against the online grocery firm yesterday, promising to escalate protests and strike action over the prospect of job losses.

The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) said that workers at the firm’s west London depot have had their jobs threatened after they blew the whistle on poverty pay and wage cuts.

Workers who were previously directly employed by Ocado said they saw their net incomes plunge to as little as £5 per hour when the company began using an outsourcing firm to staff the Ocado Zoom rapid delivery service in June.

The majority of Ocado Zoom workers have now voted to take strike action, the IWGB said.

While Ocado has indicated that it is now seeking to move away from using third party courier companies, the union said that the retailer has shifted to “zero-hours contract outsourcing” by using temp staffing agency Job and Talent, with no commitment to bring existing workers in-house.

The IWGB said that the majority black, Asian and minority ethnic workforce is being exploited despite having carried out essential work during the pandemic.

Black Lives Matter UK’s Kwadwo Kyerewaa claimed that the “racial hierarchy” between the workers and Ocado’s all-white leadership team was “clear to see.”

“BLM UK strongly supports the underpaid and exploited Ocado drivers who are overwhelmingly black and people of colour,” he said.

Ocado courier Faizan Babar said: “I am forced to work six or seven days a week to support my family, but on less than £5 per hour I’m still struggling to pay my bills.

“We worked through lockdown even though I fall into a high-risk category. … If our hard work is worth the nation’s applause it’s worth decent pay and fair conditions, and that is all we’re asking for, for us and for our families.”

IWGB president Alex Marshall said that Ocado was “moving to switch from the notoriously exploitative gig economy model to an equally unethical outsourcing one based on zero-hours contracts.”

“We are ready to fight until they get the pay, conditions and stability they deserve,” he said of the workers involved.

The campaign has won the support of local Labour MPs Rupa Huq and Barry Gardiner, who was due to visit the depot yesterday.

Ocado was invited to comment.