Digital piecework, algorithms, gangmasters 2.0: the uphill struggle for riders, exploited and lacking class consciousness.

“I started with Glovo in 2019. I'm the first rider to have been subordinated to them. I had it because I sued Glovo in 2022, claiming the way they classified me was incorrect.” These are Enrico Francia's words, rider and delegate for NIdiL, the CGIL union that protects atypical workers. The journey into the diverse and complex world of bike couriers begins with him, with his story. Which begins, as we were saying, with his experience with Glovo. “ Back then, there was still the algorithm with the calendar, which told me whether to work, when to work, and how to do it. So, if you give me these kinds of restrictions, it means I'm a subordinate worker, not self-employed,” Enrico explains. And in 2022, the Turin Court agreed with him: the ability to refuse a delivery is not enough to classify the rider's activity as self-employment. “I didn't accept the subordinate contract with Glovo, but I received compensation,” he continues.

But let's get things straight. In 2020, the "CCNL Rider" was signed, an agreement between Assodelivery and UGL Rider to regulate the activities of self-employed riders. This contract defines the employment relationship between Deliveroo and Glovo and their bike couriers. For Just Eat , however, the situation is different: it contested that agreement and – Enrico explains – in a sort of " advertising campaign" it left Assodelivery and hired its riders as subordinates. "Today I work with Just Eat – Enrico continues – I have a 20-hour contract." Recently, Glovo has eliminated the algorithm with the calendar; there is no longer a visible "score" to monitor the riders' exasperated diligence. But in reality, says Enrico, even on platforms that have embraced subordination like Just Eat, "the algorithm only gives extra hours to those who are truly high-performing." That digital piecework environment, in short, has never really disappeared. “ The system is always the same: it is the algorithm that chooses whether you have to work or not, whether you are self-employed or employed,” adds the rider and NIdiL delegate.

With summer and the prohibitive temperatures, the issue of protections has become even more complex. Piedmont and Lazio have issued ordinances prohibiting outdoor work (including riders) on " red-flag" days during the hottest hours of the day. The problem, someone immediately pointed out, is that many orders are placed at lunchtime. If the self-employed worker doesn't deliver, they don't earn anything . And there's still no subsidy to "fix" the situation. " The lack of pay is a problem for us ," says Francia, " and we're addressing the issue with the Region. However, it shouldn't be the Region that provides the money, but the employer, i.e. Glovo or Deliveroo, who should step in." Yet the Assodelivery protocol currently only provides " 50 cents more when it's hot, 5 euros for a water bottle... all things that aren't enough for a rider, especially if it's 40 degrees, because the heat is still felt," comments Enrico.

But there's another phenomenon thriving in the undergrowth of food delivery platforms. We could call it " digital gangmastering, " and it primarily affects non-EU workers . "Not only are we aware of it ," says the NIdiL delegate, " but as a union, we've also reported it to the apps." And how did they address it? Francia explains: "Until recently, Deliveroo and Glovo used facial recognition to combat gangmastering." This measure wasn't enough: "We've always contested it because it doesn't work. It involved taking a photo, which might not come out well, so the rider was blocked." Then, a privacy ordinance put a stop to everything: according to the guarantor, facial recognition cannot be used on workers. But this has sparked new problems: "People have started giving their accounts to 3 or 4 people again. We have communications from various riders reporting people with multiple accounts."

And he explains the mechanism: " It's not convenient to stay on a bike for nine hours, " and so many " leave their account open and give it to, say, a cousin, a friend, someone in the village, then get a percentage of what they earn." "We've asked for more controls, even on the vehicles, which are often not approved," and therefore "we're asking Glovo and Deliveroo, like Just Eat, to place supervisors at the various starting points to check the vehicles and the identities of those working," says Francia. " We're trying to ask for subordination, which seems unlikely, and we're also pushing for an improvement in the existing contractual structure, to ensure more rights for riders," concludes Enrico.

But finding a solution isn't easy. Within the broad category of riders, there's a wide variety: some do it as a permanent job, thus hoping for subordination, but also those who supplement their income with this job and therefore have every interest in remaining independent. There are migrants, students, and adults, and they all have different needs. There are no univocal needs, and therefore no univocal demands. NIdiL secretary Roberta Turi, who deals specifically with non-subordinate riders, explains this point well: "At NIdiL, we offer mixed contracts. Subordination is the best solution for those seeking a stable, full-time contract, for those who do this work every day. But we want to combine it with a protected form of self-employment , perhaps with a coordinated and continuous collaboration contract, which however has the protections of a collective agreement. That is, by setting minimum wages and collective union rights similar to subordination, but maintaining the autonomy of the service."

So we ask her if there's an open channel with Assodelivery in this regard. "They've always refused to classify the workers as subordinates ," Turi replies. " Regarding the second option, they've said they're interested, but so far, beyond words, there's been no action. No discussions, despite our pressure." And mobilizing without a true class consciousness is beyond difficult: "Many riders don't speak Italian, some are under the yoke of digital gangmastering, and there are community leaders who organize many of the workers from their countries of origin, often blackmailing them, so they're not encouraged to protest." The NIdiL secretary concludes: " It's also difficult for the union to have a direct relationship with many of them; we're always referred to these community leaders. Everywhere there's always someone organizing them, and they point them to you as a point of reference. And we never know what's behind all this. And neither they nor the companies have any interest in things changing." It seems clear: the road ahead for bike couriers is still very long. And uphill.

FROM

Asia Buconi