Food delivery workers in Greece are staging a four-hour work stoppage on Thursday, October 22, and holding a protest outside the Ministry of Labor in Athens to demand stronger employment protections and guaranteed labor rights.
The Employees’ Union of efood in the Attica region has called for the stoppage from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a demonstration scheduled for noon outside the ministry at 29 Stadiou Street. A total of 14 unions are participating in the mobilization.
The protest comes ahead of the December 2 deadline for Greece to incorporate a European Union directive on workers employed through digital platforms into national law. Workers are calling for immediate measures to protect their rights and improve their working conditions.
What delivery workers are demanding
The unions have outlined several key demands concerning employment status, pay, algorithmic management and companies’ responsibility for workers.
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Clearer employment status and benefits: Workers want a rebuttable presumption of employment, allowing those who seek employee status to establish that they work as employees rather than independent contractors. They say this would secure access to paid leave, holiday bonuses, seniority-based pay increases, fuel and vehicle maintenance expenses, and coverage for workplace accidents.
Transparency in platform algorithms: Workers want digital platforms to disclose the criteria they use to evaluate workers, distribute orders and set pay rates. They say greater transparency is needed to prevent arbitrary decisions.
Direct responsibility for platform companies: Unions are demanding an end to arrangements in which large companies use contractors to avoid responsibility for workers. They want subcontracting arrangements to be fully abolished.
Fair pay and protection for freelancers: Workers are seeking a guaranteed minimum hourly rate covering their entire shift, regardless of whether the app assigns them orders. They also want base pay separated from mileage reimbursements, as well as full company responsibility for providing protective equipment and covering workers in the event of an accident.
The mobilization comes as Greece approaches the deadline to bring its national legislation into line with the EU directive on platform work, with workers pressing for safeguards to be established as part of that process.