The rapid expansion of delivery services like Lieferando is facing escalating scrutiny over labor practices, with accusations of exploitative conditions and a deliberate erosion of worker protections. Jan van Aken, leader of the Left party (Die Linke), has launched a scathing indictment of Lieferando’s announced plans to cut around 2,000 driver positions and increasingly outsource delivery operations to subcontractors.
Van Aken, drawing on personal experience delivering goods by bicycle, condemned the company’s actions as a “scandal”. He highlighted the significant profits generated by Lieferando in Germany, which contrast sharply with the precarious circumstances faced by its contracted drivers. “Lieferando is pocketing profits while leaving its workforce exposed” Van Aken stated, emphasizing the inadequate pay, lack of security and absence of worker representation.
The criticism extends beyond a simple disagreement over wages. It encompasses a broader concern about the fragmentation of labor within the gig economy, where companies circumvent traditional employment obligations by classifying workers as independent contractors. This model, critics argue, allows for the avoidance of social security contributions and the suppression of collective bargaining power.
Guido Zeitler, chairman of the Food, Beverage and Hospitality Union (NGG), echoed these concerns, urging the swift and binding implementation of the EU Platform Directive at the national level. This directive aims to address unfair practices harming employees within the digital labor market, ensuring that hard-won worker rights are upheld in this expanding sector.
Zeitler specifically addressed the existing precarity faced by many drivers, citing frequently changing shift schedules and the arbitrary cancellation of assignments, ultimately leading to reduced working hours and diminished income for those reliant on a stable earnings stream. He warned that the current trajectory risks normalizing a system where digital platforms prioritize profit maximization at the expense of basic labor standards. The announced restructuring by Lieferando serves as a stark example of the potential pitfalls of unchecked growth within the delivery sector and is prompting calls for urgent regulatory intervention to protect vulnerable workers.