The Stuart Delivery strike is the longest ever in the UK’s gig economy. Initially running for 18 days from 6-24 December, it re-started again on 10 January.

Starting in Sheffield, the strike spread to six towns and cities across the north of England, and the couriers, members of the IWGB union, plan to continue until their demands for higher pay are met.

In this Gig Economy Project podcast we are joined by Khalil Lange, Sheffield Stuart Delivery courier and one of the strike’s leaders, and Jake Thomas, a courier in London and the IWGB’s courier branch secretary. We discuss:

01:12: Lange’s journey to becoming a courier and trade unionist, and how the strike got started

03:21: The spread of the strike and what makes it unprecedented

07:49: The mood of the strikers and the attitude of the company

11:59: Just Eat and sub-contracting

15:00: The dispute over Stuart Delivery’s “linear pay” system

19:58: The current situation on the ground

22:45: The historic significance of the strike

25:19: How can people support the strike?