During a tribunal this week over workers’ rights, Deliveroo, the food delivery firm, has been accused of engaging in misinformation and changing contract rules at the last minute to weaken its riders’ case, according to the Guardian. Deliveroo tried to have the case dismissed on the basis that not enough riders in certain areas expressed interest in joining the International Workers Union of Great Britain, citing figures for members who signed up. The IWGB disputed Deliveroo’s figures and stated that it was running a ‘campaign of misinformation.’

During the hearing, it was discovered that Deliveroo had recently made a series of changes to its contracts, including removing performance monitoring and a requirement for riders to wear its branded clothing. Both these factors are seen as central to differentiating between workers, who are service providers closely controlled by an employer, and self-employed contractors.