Exploitation via App

Precarious working conditions and organizing at delivery services in Berlin 

Thousands of migrants, mainly from South Asia, work for delivery platforms such as Lieferando, Wolt or Uber Eats. The companies often use subcontractors to undermine employees' labor rights. Tactics such as “union busting” are also used to prevent workers from organizing and defending themselves against poor working conditions. Low wages, self-financed work equipment, wages paid too late or not at all and overwork characterize app-based platform work. 

The companies Wolt and UberEats rely on the use of so-called fleet partners, who then employ and manage delivery couriers. In this way, the two companies avoid all labor and social security obligations towards their employees. The drivers also have no protection against dismissal, but are simply blocked in the app. A new EU directive on platform work is intended to improve working conditions and force platform companies to comply with labor law standards. However, implementation in the individual member states is not due until December 2026.

In Berlin and other cities, there are repeated collective protests against the poor working conditions at delivery services. There has been a works council at Lieferando in Berlin for several years, and the Lieferando Workers Collective received 78.96 percent of the votes in the elections in March 2025. 

At the event, we want to discuss, among other things, the problems faced by workers at platform delivery services and the strategies used by companies to prevent workers from organizing and to undermine labour rights.  We also want to talk about the possibilities of collective protest, the self-organization of riders and the role of trade unions. The event will also feature various initiatives and organizations that support workers' struggles in different ways.

With contributions by Sharma (plaintiff in the court case against Wolt), Samee Ullah (Lieferando Workers Collective) and Aju Ghevarghese John (Migrants for Decent Work), Moderation Johanna Schellhagen (Labournet TV) 
The event will be held in English and will be simultaneously translated into German.