The ADCU utterly condemns the racist and Islamophobic violence carried out by far-right criminals over the past few days. The police must take all necessary action to restore order and swiftly hold those responsible to full account.

Our union represents a minority workforce who, together with their communities, have borne the brunt of the attacks over the past few days. Many will feel anxious and afraid of what may yet come. Some will face the terrible choice of going to work and facing risks, or staying home to protect their family and community but forfeiting income to do so.

Let us be clear, this didn’t start last week. This is the logical conclusion of years of vilification of migrants and minorities. It is the end result of decades of racist behaviour, conducted overtly and covertly, by the media, our politicians and our public institutions.

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‍Enough is enough.

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Our first priority and concern is for the safety of our members. We will be contacting the local police, licensing authorities and operators to make sure that drivers and couriers can be protected at work, and if not, suitable arrangements are in place to suspend services and compensate workers.

We will also be connecting with our members through our local committees to decide how best the union can support local organising for community solidarity and protection.

In the longer term, we will continue to demand that the government prioritise reform in our sector so that the work we do is properly paid and workers are protected.

For now, we will continue to work for safety, security and solidarity in the interests of our members, their families and their communities.