Under the new pay deal Evri’s eligible “self-employed plus” (SE+) couriers who are members of GMB Union will receive: Festive support payments of up to £950 for SE+ GMB Union members. Fully subsidised death, disability, accident and sickness insurance starting January 25th providing financial protection against unforeseen circumstances. Access to qualified accountants for assistance with VAT returns. Couriers not yet enrolled in the SE+ scheme will have the opportunity to join starting from January 2025.

Martijn De Lange, CEO of Evri said:

Our couriers are highly valued as the engine of our business. We’ve been proud to lead the industry in offering self-employed workers greater protection and benefits since 2019. This latest ground-breaking deal is a significant step forwards demonstrating our commitment to supporting couriers financially and with a raft of protection and benefits, including sick pay for our SE+ workers in an industry first.

· Industry first initiative will provide self-employed couriers with insurance-backed paid sick leave

· Pay offer worth millions, including festive support payments

· Comprehensive benefits package including paid holidays, guaranteed rates of pay, pension contributions and parental leave

Gill Ogilvie, GMB Lead Organiser, said: “Securing sickness payments for thousands of couriers is a huge step forward. “Once again GMB has shown the difference unions can make in the modern world of work."

This week's announcement follows Evri’s launch of its inaugural (SE+) courier model in September 2019. This remains the UK’s only union-backed courier initiative.

The pioneering SE+ scheme provides access to 28 days paid holiday, guaranteed national minimum wage, pension contributions, parental leave and additional flexible benefits. Earlier this year, Evri also partnered with flexible benefits platform, Onsi, to enhance its offering to couriers introducing: Wellbeing support, which offers couriers benefits like Digital GP, Digital Physio and support for mental health, finances, and family. Discounts, to provide couriers with deals to save on everyday expenses. Financial management support which provides early access to wages.

Evri is delivering more than 730 million parcels a year. The company has a mission to be the most convenient way to send, receive and return parcels, without costing the earth. Evri works with most of Europe’s top retailers, marketplaces and pre-loved sites. The roots of Evri can be traced back to Yorkshire in 1974 but the business has grown over the decades and now has a team of 8,000+ employees, 20,000+ couriers, 16,800+ out of home locations and a growing network of state-of-the-art hubs and depots. Evri has more than 3 million independent 5-star Trustpilot reviews, on-time delivery rates which surpass 99%, an average courier rating of 4.7/5, and a commitment to provide an answer for everyone following a significant investment in customer experience.