15 hour working days for delivery drivers putting lives at risk, GMB Congress says

Multi-drop delivery drivers are consistently expected to work excessive hours, putting their health and safety at risk, GMB Congress heard today [8 June].

GMB is calling for an end to the normalisation of 12 to 15 hour days, which increase fatigue, stress, and road danger, and proposing the adoption of a 10-hour working day.

Flaviu Andrea, HGV driver and GMB delegate, said:

“Excessive working days of 12 to 15 hours are dangerous, yet they have become normalised across multi-drop logistics.

“These long days increase fatigue, injury risk, stress, and road danger.

“A driver who has been awake for 17 hours has twice the normal collision risk.

 “Fatigue is not a choice or an individual failing.

“It is a predictable outcome of long hours, night work, and inadequate recovery time.

“The length of the working day is determined less by driving time and more by inefficiency, as drivers routinely lose hours waiting to load or tip, and dealing with unrealistic route plans.

“GMB is calling for the adoption of a maximum 10-hour working day with no loss of pay.

“This proposal is grounded in putting safety before profit and passing accountability onto employers to fix broken systems rather than exploiting labour.”