Independent couriers begin a bicycle journey from Paris to Brussels, where a European directive on the rights of platform workers is currently being discussed, on November 5, 2023 in Paris (AFP/ALAIN JOCARD)
“Uberization has no borders”: to make their voices heard, eight independent delivery drivers of six different nationalities begin a bicycle journey from Paris to Brussels on Sunday, where a European directive relating to the rights of platform workers is currently being discussed .
They are English, French, Italian, Spanish, Austrian and Belgian but these couriers from Deliveroo or UberEats experience “exactly the same thing”: “Uberization has no borders”, says Jérémy Wick, a 34-year-old French deliveryman who participates in “The Great Delivery”.
With seven other couriers who consider themselves “Uberized”, he will cycle to Brussels, where “the last phase of negotiation” of a European directive on the rights of platform workers has begun, the MEP explains to AFP Leila Chaibi (left group).
“We all do very difficult, underpaid work, we are exploited,” summarizes Jérémy Wick to AFP.
These delivery men will meet political figures on their journey, such as LFI MP François Ruffin in Amiens, will demonstrate in front of the European Council and Parliament and will meet negotiators from these two bodies.
Independent couriers begin a bicycle journey from Paris to Brussels, where a European directive on the rights of platform workers is currently being discussed, on November 5, 2023 in Paris (AFP/ALAIN JOCARD)
The latter – under the arbitration of the European Commission – are currently negotiating the content of a text which plans to reclassify as employees many platform workers currently considered independent.
This draft legislation intends to set identical rules at EU level while regulations on platforms are currently very disparate among the Twenty-Seven.
“Across the European Union, a certain number of platform workers are wrongly considered as independent workers while the platform imposes subordination on them,” said Ms. Chaibi, who indicates that “the objective is that the text is completed by December”.
The reclassification of self-employed workers as employees could concern 5.5 million of the 28 million platform workers in Europe (taxi drivers, domestic workers, meal delivery workers, etc.), according to the European Commission.
– “Dead colleagues” –
“Whether in Austria, Belgium, France, it is clear that we are employees but we are forced to be independent,” whispers Camille Peteers, a 35-year-old deliveryman working with UberEats to AFP. Brussels and participant in the “Great Delivery”.
Jérémy Wick explains: “We cannot define our prices, unilateral decisions are taken, we do not publish our invoices, (the platforms) have the power to sanction”. The courier took legal action against Deliveroo for a reclassification of his employment contract.
“What we don’t want is a status quo compared to the current situation where, to be requalified, it is the workers themselves who must take the long and costly process before the judge” , defends Leila Chaibi.
The delivery drivers interviewed also discussed the changes made in the delivery sector in recent years.
“The pricing drops from year to year,” testifies Jérémy Wick. “The price of groceries is so low that if tomorrow there are no more undocumented delivery people ready to accept that, Uber and Deliveroo will close,” he judges.
In 2017, the golden age when bicycle delivery was “a well-paid student job”, “people didn’t ask themselves ‘Am I independent, am I an employee?'” says Mr. Wick.
But now, while remuneration is falling, “we must place orders as quickly as possible, always going faster, it is a very concrete endangerment of workers”, denounces Camille Peteers.
The delivery man explains that “in Belgian law, there is a presumption of employment in the field of transport” to prevent pressure from leading to dangerous behavior on the road.
“We are going to cycle 400 kilometers in three days in the rain (…) for all these things, for accidents, for our dead colleagues,” explains Jérémy Wick.
Delivery drivers will pay tribute on Wednesday to Sultan Zadran, a courier who died last February while making a delivery in Brussels.
© 2023 AFP
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