Gophr is First Courier Company in UK to Pay Living Wage
Sydney, Oct 14, 2015 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Yonder & Beyond Group Limited (
ASX:YNB), is pleased to announce one of the startups in its portfolio is making a real social impact. Gophr, the courier application created to improve the experience for customers and couriers alike, has announced it is going to pay its full-time couriers more than the London Living Wage. This makes Gophr the first accredited courier company in the UK by the Living Wage Foundation.
Highlights:
- London startup awarded full accreditation by Living Wage Foundation
- Move wins backing from Mayor of London Boris Johnson and IWGB union
- Gophr uses app-based technology to cut costs and offer a fairer deal in poorly paid industry
- Living Wage companies are encouraged to use other accredited Living Wage companies for services
This move emphasises Gophr's position as one of the leading and innovative technology startups in London. Living Wage companies include some the most recognised companies in the UK, and in turn they are encouraged to use the services of other accredited companies. Achieving this milestone puts Gophr in an advantageous position to rapidly increase its B2B sales.
Gophr is one of a new breed of startups using digital technology to inspire a social benefit. Gophr has developed a booking application that allows anyone to send a delivery job directly to the smartphone of a nearby courier instantly. This cuts costly processes and calls centres, which means Gophr can offer its couriers more money per job as well as offer cost and time savings to the consumer.
It makes a typically complex service simple, for consumers and businesses alike. These savings are passed onto couriers, who can now earn the equivalent of GBP11.10 per hour or more for a full-time courier. This is almost GBP2 per hour more than the official London Living Wage and Gophr is proud to be the first delivery service in the UK to provide this to its couriers.
The move was praised by Mayor of London, Boris Johnson MP, who said: "I have long championed the London Living Wage and I am very pleased that Gophr is getting involved. It is great news for their couriers and I hope other businesses across the capital will follow their lead."
YNB acquired a 75 per cent stake in Gophr on 20th February 2015 for $1 million and has helped take the company from its original concept to its live operations. The company is going from strength to strength.
Gophr has also won backing from the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) and Green Party London Mayoral candidate Sian Berry. The news comes after recent protests by London's cycle courier community demanding fairer wages.
Gophr Founder Seb Robert says: "We felt passionately that the same-day delivery industry in London could be improved by technology. Our app makes it easy for anyone to request a delivery from our network of riders, which is instantly picked up by a cycle courier.
"They are the fastest delivery people in the capital, carrying documents, electronics, food and more. We hope this encourages more people to ride for us and find new environmentally-friendly employment within this vital sector for London's economy."
Caroline Reilly, Programme Manager at the Living Wage Foundation, adds: "Gophr announcing their Living Wage accreditation is a fantastic first step of leadership in a low paid industry. I'm really excited about consumers being assured they have a Living Wage courier option wherever they do business in London."
Yonder & Beyond CEO, Shashi Fernando, adds: "We are proud of Gophr's achievement and the success they have had to date. The company has gone beyond many of its largest competitors, offering a more sustainable business model that gives back to its employee and customers.
"Consumers are becoming much more aware of work cultures and practices, looking favourably on those that operate in a sustainable manner. Now, Gophr is not only an environmentally friendly solution to delivery needs but also one that provides responsible pay, giving back to its community of riders. We are expecting the company to achieve great things in the near, medium and long term."
Founder Seb Robert, who dreamt up the idea after waiting in all day for a delivery, explains: "We pay roughly 20% more for a standard job than other courier company and it grows exponentially for jobs above two miles, sometimes around 300% more for deliveries over five miles. But, as our technology affords us lower overheads, we can still remain competitive for our customers and offer a much fairer deal to our riders.
"We are proud to give businesses across London a Living Wage alternative to use for deliveries and have some exciting plans in the pipeline to raise new investment, boost our growth, increase our rider numbers and eventually expand to other cities and delivery methods."
Jason Moyer Lee, President of the IWGB, says: "For the past six months, the IWGB has been campaigning to raise rates in London's notoriously low-paid courier industry. Gophr's decision to pay its couriers the London Living Wage plus reasonable costs (e.g. bicycle maintenance) shows that a small and new company is still capable of providing an ethical example for the industry."
Sian Berry, Green Party candidate for Mayor of London, adds: "This is great news and congratulations to both Gophr and its workforce, and to the campaigning by the IWGB union that put the Living Wage on the agenda of the courier industry.
"This important step now needs to be followed by more organising and campaigning and more courier companies following their lead. We have a long way to go, and many other industries to change, including care, hospitality, and many public services before we can call London a real Living Wage city."
Gophr customer Josch Young, of Live Nation, was full of praise for the service. He says: "We started using Gophr after they delivered an item to us. Not only are they environmentally-friendly but their website and customer service are fantastic too so it's great to hear they also pay their riders more than other courier companies."
To learn more about why Seb Robert founded Gophr, read his blog post which chronicles how he gave up his job to work in an industry he knew nothing about and why he believes he can change the same-day courier industry from within.
About Yonder & Beyond Group Ltd
Yonder & Beyond Group Ltd (Y&B) (ASX:YNB) is a portfolio of synergistic technology assets with a focus on mobile businesses. These include Gophr, Boppl, Prism Digital, PlayMeet and MeU Mobile. Yonder & Beyond's strategy is to identify and develop disruptive applications with high commercialisation and scalability potential.
Yonder & Beyond equip startups with vital capabilities beyond capital. Our philosophy is to invest in people, as well as invest in their business, so they can both grow and succeed. We are dedicated to contributing to the development of businesses through our resources, experience and relationships.
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