Some 80 Bolt Food couriers are staging a strike on Wednesday over the platform unilaterally reducing their hourly rates.
The couriers will not be taking orders between 11:00 and 15:00.
“Generally poor working conditions have been exacerbated by the Covid-19 induced quarantine, and courier patience was finally exhausted with a morning text message announcement at 8:37: ‘As of 9:00, the company is to lower the base hourly rate. Couriers are set to earn 2.80 euros instead of 3.00',” the May 1 Trade Union (G1PS), representing the food delivery workers, said in a press release.
“The week started off just great – I received a message that my salary would be reduced in 23 minutes,” Albert Bandero, who delivers food in Vilnius, is quoted in the statement.
Bolt Food claimed to compensate for the reductions by upping the rate by 0.20 euro during peak and night hours, he said.
However, Bandero maintains that the lower demand for food delivery in the city during the holiday season means that his income will go down.
“In reality, I’ve calculated that the changes will cost me about 5 euros a day, so I lose more than 100 euros per month,” Bandero said.
Bolt Food couriers will not accept orders for four hours and will stage a peaceful protest in Cathedral Square.
Moreover, the couriers say that Bolt Food has been hiring new employees in Vilnius every two weeks, which cuts the number of orders for both old and recently hired employees. The expansion of the area covered by food delivery has made working conditions of bicycle couriers more difficult as well, according to G1PS.
“Couriers employed as sole traders, many of whom are non-Lithuanian citizens, find it extremely difficult to defend their rights – this is what food delivery companies use to their advantage,” said G1PS representative Vuk Vukotič.
“During the quarantine, food and other goods delivery businesses were earning record profits while simultaneously reducing their costs at the expense of their employees,” he added
The strikers demand that Bolt Food keep the base delivery rate of 3 euros, to pursue a more responsible employment policy and to respect experienced couriers.
Unless the company agrees to start negotiations, couriers are willing to strike again, according to the statement.
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