142 delivery riders is Oslo, Norway, for the company Foodora are on strike as they demand that the company agrees to a collective bargaining agreement. As part of their action, the riders, from the union Fellesforbundet, have setup a soup kitchen and are repairing bicycles for free in the city centre. In a couple of weeks the strike will be expanded to 200 riders.
The union started negotiating the CBA with Foodora this summer, but talks and mediation failed and the strike began 20 August. Among other things, the riders want:
- a pay rise that is adjusted for inflation for the three years salaries have been stagnant
- adequate compensation for using their own equipment at work, eg bicycles, smartphones etc
- a satisfactory training and safety plan for the daily risks faced by riders
‘Our riders love their work and they want to continue doing it under fair conditions,’ the statement said. ‘This strike is important not only for the Foodora riders in Norway but for riders, couriers and foodsters anywhere, and for anyone concerned about working conditions and working rights in the so-called platform economy.
The action in Norway is part of a wider trend of delivery riders fighting back against appalling employment conditions, with recent demonstrations in Belgium and the launch of the Delivery Riders Alliance in Australia, according to ITF.
Companies such as Deliveroo, Foodora and Uber Eats have expanded rapidly over the last few years as to meet the increased demand for food delivery. However, this new sector has become notorious for its precarious pay and working conditions, as well as for systematically miscategorising the employment status of riders as a way of shirking labour costs.
The striking Norwegian riders have made a mark in Oslo doing stunts every day which are very visible to the public. Each day they make a video which they put on their Facebook page.
Source: ITF and Fri fagbevegelse