The universe of riders, between low wages and grueling shifts. The numbers

The Glovo case turns the spotlight on the world of riders again. The Milan prosecutor, Paolo Storari, ordered the judicial control, as part of a gangmaster investigation for Foodinho, the delivery company of the Spanish giant.

Yet another story that highlights the alarming situation of the ‘new slaves‘ of the platform economy, denounced only a few days ago by the Nidil CGIL in the dossier ‘The working conditions of food delivery riders’, the result of an investigation launched in June 2024, with a questionnaire of 41 questions in four languages ​​(Italian, English, French and Urdu) administered to around 500 workers.

Low wages and exhausting shifts

Fees between 2 and 4 euros gross per deliverycirca ten hours of work a daysix-seven days a week, in the midst of urban traffic, in the rain and in scorching heat: this is the photograph taken of a low-paid job, expensive to carry out, devoid of effective protection and governed by opaque rules, which has seen in recent years, in the face of growth in demand and competition, a collapse in compensation.

Rider testimonials

As Giovanni, 43 years old, a graduate in Political Science, a rider since 2020, tells the union: “There were months in which I managed to make even 3,500 euros, working hard, more than eight hours a day, and in certain periods even with multiple platforms, such as Uber Eats. But then everything changed. Last year – he says – I earned around 24,000 euros. As a flat-rate VAT number I pay 5% substitute tax, but after five years it passes at 15%. I paid about 7,000 euros between contributions and taxes. It’s not easy to put that money aside. When you work with a VAT number, what you earn is gross: then you have to pay everything, taxes and contributions.”

While Imran, 23 years old, a rider since 2021, reports: “Days split between waiting at restaurants and running all over the city, wages as low as 3 euros and compensation decided by an opaque algorithm”.

Platforms and types of contracts

In the sample interviewed, over half of rider works for multiple platforms (55%), in the self-employed sector they prevail Globo (67,4%) e Deliveroo (70.7%). Some also work with Just Eat (13.9%). The Dutch player employs on a subordinate contract and in these cases, the activity on Glovo/Deliveroo is often carried out as a second/third job.

Food delivery as the main source of income

In fact, for the majority of those interviewed, food delivery represents the main source of income (76.4%), which means working 6-7 days a week (72.9%), 7-10 hours a day (49.3%), to achieve a high number of deliveries, greater than 8 in 61.7% of cases.

Waits for collection in restaurants can exceed 10-20 minutes (in 50.5% of cases this is the declared average) and significantly reduce the actual value of the compensation.

Costs borne by workers

For 56.3% the average profit per delivery is very often between 2 and 4 euros gross. There are no additional allowances for travel time, waiting or expenses incurred. If hours get longer or costs increase, it all falls on the worker. It is therefore not surprising that over half of the riders (55.4%) refuse deliveries when the proposed compensation is too low.

Means of transport and living expenses

Almost all of the interviewees stated that they use a own means of transport (92.5%), these are often electric bikes or scooters (40.6%), but in many cities – not only in the large capitals – a significant share makes deliveries by car (23.4%). Most cyclofactorins (66%) travel further 40 km per daythis results in out-of-pocket costs (fuel, maintenance, telephone) often exceeding 200 euros per month (31%): an economic impact that further erodes already low compensation.

Theft, injuries and lack of protection

35.5% also reported having suffered theft of their vehicle and 12.3% attempted theft. The picture of injuries is “highly worrying”, reports the Nidil CGIL: almost four riders out of ten (39.8%) declare having injured at least oncebut only a minority reported the episode to the competent authorities. Among those who were injured, less than one worker in five (17.6%) received compensation, while over two thirds (67.4%) did not receive any form of financial compensation.

Complaints, INAIL and structural precariousness

A deficiency due to several factors: the under-reporting of accidents, often for fear of losing access to deliveries or algorithmic bonuses; lack of knowledge of insurance rights; and the ambiguity of the contractual relationship, which leads platforms to shirk their responsibilities. In many cases, riders see their insurance rights recognized by Inail only after long disputes, the union reports, often made possible exclusively thanks to the intervention of union patronage.

Daily risks and extreme conditions

The union recalls that Inail coverage for self-employed food delivery workers was only introduced starting from 1 February 2020, and that before that date, injuries effectively remained without mandatory protection. This also explains the persistence of a culture of precariousness that discourages reporting. Workers exposed to the constant risk of accidents in urban traffic and the pressure of delivery times, in extreme weather conditions, heat waves, intense rain and winter ice, as confirmed by news episodes involving numerous riders in various Italian cities in recent years.