Edward James Morta, a Takeaway bike messenger, drinks water during a heat wave in Utrecht, the Netherlands on August 10, 2022. REUTERS/Piroshka van de Wau
Utrecht, Netherlands/Palermo, Italy, Aug 11 (Reuters) – As Europe prepares for a new heatwave, a group of workers have no choice but to sweat as couriers race through the city delivering lunch and dinner to customers.
“Hot, sometimes very hot. But what can we do? God controls the weather,” said Gennaro Guarracino, 47, who delivers food for Glovo in the Italian city of Naples.
Temperatures across Western Europe are expected to reach 34-38 degrees (93-100 degrees Fahrenheit) on Thursday.
However, labor practices such as providing workers with cold water, shade and extra paid breaks are not widely adopted and enforced, with the food delivery market being a prime example as many of its workers are freelancers.
In July, the mayor of Palermo on the Italian island of Sicily signed an order to provide at least 10 liters of water a day to horses carrying tourists and stop tours when temperatures rise above 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit).
With the support of the union, bike messenger Gaetano Russo, who also delivered food for Glovo, filed a lawsuit demanding similar treatment.
“Am I worth more than a horse?” Rousseau was quoted as saying by the Italian trade union Nidil CGIL, which represents flex workers.
Following a complaint on August 3, a judge ordered thermoses for cold water, electrolytes and sunscreen to be issued to the riders.
In European restaurant companies Glovo, Uber (UBER.N) and Deliveroo (ROO.L), couriers are considered self-employed. The largest Just Eat Takeaway (TKWY.AS) has its own couriers in most markets.
In response to questions from Reuters, Glovo’s parent company, Delivery Hero (DHER.DE), said its “riders are free to choose shifts, request a break at any time, and receive season-appropriate gear.”
Accidents have increased on hot days, according to labor experts, while scientists warn that extremely warm days, which increase the risk of heat stroke, are becoming more common due to global warming.
The death of a Madrid scavenger from heatstroke during the July heatwave in continental Europe highlights the dangers of working in hot weather.read more
This prompted the European Trade Union Confederation to renew the call for a maximum operating temperature that does not yet exist.
“It’s amazing how few countries have rules,” said Juanita Constable of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), an international environmental advocacy group. “I hope that as countries grapple with what it means to live in a warmer world, they will pay more attention to the needs of their workers.”
Representatives for Uber and Deliveroo said they had passed on government weather advice to their contractors.
Critics of self-employment models, including Constible NRDC, say many workers cannot afford time off and continue to work at risk.
In December, the European Commission announced draft rules that would classify most gig workers as employees, but the scheme has yet to become law.read more
“Personally, I just calm down and see how much I’m sweating,” said Edward James Morta, a courier for a delivery company in Utrecht, the Netherlands, whose contract includes vacation pay.
These benefits apply to those who leave the territory of Ukraine, including pensioners, pregnant women and the disabled.
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Post time: Aug-29-2022