Food delivery workers in the United Arab Emirates staged a strike on Monday, demanding higher wages and better working conditions, in a rare example of such action in the Gulf state.

The strike follows a similar move by foreign workers this month, forcing another company to suspend plans to cut wages.

In the latest incident, drivers working for Talabat - the German Delivery Hero unit in the Middle East - began on Monday refusing to deliver orders in Dubai, the Emirates financial center and the region's trade and tourism hub.

A group of Talabat drivers told Reuters - in the early hours of Tuesday morning outside a restaurant in Dubai - that a strike organized by delivery workers at Deliveroo encouraged them to move to demand better conditions.

The strike, which severely disrupted Deliveroo services last week, prompted the British company to meet the demands of drivers not to go ahead with plans to cut wages.

It is worth noting that public protests, strikes and trade unions are prohibited in the UAE.

The strike, which severely disrupted Deliveroo services last week, prompted the British company to meet the demands of drivers (Associated Press)

Drivers' demands

Talabat drivers said they are asking for the equivalent of a $0.54 pay increase to $2.59 per trip to help offset rising fuel costs, which have increased more than 30% this year in the UAE.

"If it gives Deliveroo that price...why don't we get it?" a Pakistani driver told Reuters in Talabat.

Deliveroo drivers in Dubai earn about $2.79 per delivery.

A spokesperson for Talabat said delivery drivers - who were contracted through agencies - earned an average of 3,500 UAE dirhams ($953) per month.

He did not reveal how many hours they would have to spend to earn that wage.

He added that there were no new changes in the wage structure, explaining that until last week, 70% of the company's drivers had expressed their satisfaction with the salary structure.

However, Talabat drivers who spoke to Reuters said that after paying for gasoline, they were left with only 2,500 dirhams per month in exchange for working 12 to 14 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Drivers warned that the strike could continue until the company committed to a wage increase, although some were wary of breaching the authorities if the strike continued for an extended period.