On 30 September 2021, a protest against this misbehaviour took place in West London near Acton Town. It formed part of a broader coordinated effort to condemn the jeopardisation of jobs held by BAME key workers. Commencing at the Ocado Zoom showroom-warehouse, which had previously been the starting point for couriers, the demonstration saw workers, IWGB members, and activists marching through the area. Public speeches were delivered by workers, activists, and various supporters, including the founder of the Nocado campaign and the local MP for Ealing Central. This protest not only addressed the grievances of Ocado Zoom workers but also provided a political platform for an alliance between IWGB and the Archway and Tufnell community in London. This coalition managed to oppose Ocado’s plans to construct a 24/7 depot near Yerbury Primary School, raising concerns over urban development regulations and the adverse effects of increased pollution and noise on the local area.
During the demonstration, a spokesperson for the Nocado campaign highlighted the exploitative practices of the digital labour platform, its failure to uphold ethical standards regarding worker treatment, and its disregard for environmental concerns. The collaboration between IWGB and the Nocado campaign remained steadfast in the subsequent months, with both organisations offering mutual support in their respective initiatives. Additionally, a message from Black Lives Matter London, expressing solidarity with the workers’ struggle against Ocado, was read aloud during the protest:
[…] We can’t be with you in person, but we are with you in spirit. We have a message we want to send to all workers. We want to make you know that we all stand in complete solidarity with you in your struggle against Ocado and we look upon your action here today with admiration and respect. We also have a message for Ocado bosses if they didn’t know already, we want to make our position crystal clear: we are sick of sick treatments ofblack and brown workers on the hands ofOcado and we completely reject that political gesturing. It is absurd that Ocado pretends to be an ethical brand to be committed in equality and diversity. You cannot be selectively anti-racist. That’s not how it works […].
7 ORGANISING MIGRANT PLATFORM WORKERS IN LONDON
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