There are fears blood donations to large hospitals, including Great Ormond Street, could be hit next week as couriers are set to strike over pay and conditions.
Around 100 cyclists, drivers and motorcyclists employed by pathology company the Doctors Laboratory are set to go on strike for two days next week.
It comes despite a victory for the gig economy and delivery industry last year, when the firm won full employment rights in a legal case.
Workers argued that they were self-employed and only had basic employment rights such as health and safety and anti-discrimination rules.
The company provides services to more than 50 NHS and private hospitals in London and the south-east.
The company in 2018 settled out of court, and acknowledged that some of their workers were employees – a status which allows full employment rights, including maternity pay and sick leave.
It followed a move the previous year to acknowledge its couriers as workers, a formal classification which allows rights such as holiday pay and national minimum wage.
The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) is now pursuing £1m in back pay for 50 workers, the Guardian reported.
It said the Doctors Laboratory was trying to introduce employee contracts and reduce pay.
The IWGB said on a Facebook event page for the strike: “TDL has preferred to continue to cut pay rather than raise it, furthering the exploitation of its fleet.
“Understandably, couriers have lost total faith in the TDL management, who’ve repeatedly failed to show even basic appreciation for their hard-working couriers, and are finally taking a stand to defend their livelihoods.
“Stand with them, and fight to SAVE LIVES NOT PENNIES!”
The action is set to take place between May 23 and 25.
The Guardian reported that Laurence Harvey, TDL’s logistics director, said it is “exceptionally disappointing that a minority of our couriers, already some of the best paid in London … have elected to strike”.
The TDL said in a statement that it has plans in place to mitigate the strike.
A spokesperson for NHS Blood and Transplant says:
“NHS Blood and Transplant provides a blood delivery service to hospitals 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. This includes regular routine deliveries and emergency deliveries when additional blood is needed urgently.
“Some hospitals choose to use private companies or charities for some delivery work between hospital sites, which may include small amounts of blood. NHS Blood and Transplant delivers the vast majority of blood used by hospitals and can deliver as and when needed. Therefore, any strike action by TDL drivers should not have any impact on emergency blood supplies or deliveries needed for the treatment of patients.”
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story suggested emergency blood supplies could be affected. This has now been amended to reflect the comments from NHS Blood and Transplant.