A Domino's pizza delivery driver from Newcastle said it is a struggle to make ends meet as the chain's refusal to cover the rising petrol charges means he's working at a loss.
The driver, who works at the South Gosforth branch of the major takeaway outlet, said that he only receives £1.20 towards the cost of fuel for each journey he makes, despite the delivery charge for customers being £1.99. But as drivers have to use their own cars and pay for fuel as well as maintenance, the employee - who wishes to remain anonymous - said he is effectively spending more on petrol than he earns.
"There's nothing in it for us," he said. "It used to be a really good job when petrol prices were low. Now, the petrol prices are absolutely out of control, it's crazy.
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"Around 50% of the time I'm stuck in traffic and that costs a lot in fuel. We are asking the company to cover the fuel costs and there should also be wear and tear cover because we are using our own cars.
"The customer probably thinks the £1.99 they pay for delivery goes to the drivers, but we only get 20p of that because when it used to be free delivery we would get £1. And now it's credit card orders only we don't get any tips."
The driver said he works five days a week, earning £9.75 an hour, and spends £20 a day on petrol covering a distance of at least 50 miles per shift.
"Two weeks ago all the drivers signed a piece of paper [calling for the wage rise] and handed it to management, but we've not heard anything back from that," he continued.
"They don't seem to care. The manager at the shop can't do anything other than pass it on to the area manager.
"With the rising cost of living it is a real struggle."
Domino's said it is considering pay rates and delivery allowances on a store-by-store basis.
A Domino's spokeswoman said: “We introduced a small delivery charge, because, like many businesses, Domino’s is facing unprecedented increases in labour and food costs as well as fuel. In addition to softening the blow of increased fuel costs, this delivery charge is also helping us to mitigate against the impact of increased labour and food costs on our business, and to allow us to continue to invest in our products and team members.
"Our franchise partners continue to consider pay rates and delivery allowances on a store-by-store basis, and we will always work hard to support colleagues to ensure we can keep delivering our great value, piping hot pizzas to customers with the levels of service they know and love."
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