New Podcast on Platform Economy Amid the War

Labor Initiatives created a podcast episode (in Ukrainian) on working conditions during the war, featuring the story of Heorhiy, a Lviv-based full-time Bolt delivery rider. After the breakout of the war, Lviv hosted many IDPs (both among clients and platform workers) who boosted food delivery and ride-hailing markets there. 

Heorhiy’s story provides an insight into the typical workdays of app-based delivery workers: level of earnings in wartime; culture of tips from the clients; work during air alerts and related risks; opaque complaint systems, absence or limited insurance options in case of traffic accidents; and ban of accounts (firing) for small wrongdoings or even as the result of employer or customer abuses.

“On average, you can earn from UAH 58-80 per delivery (about $1,5-2,1)… So, if you are a breadwinner of a family, then you need to work without any days off and lunch breaks, from early morning to late evening”. 

“The company should learn how to respect riders` work. Not only to please clients and restaurants, but pay attention to riders` needs. Due to our work, the company profits grow. Respect to us means decent pay and fair working conditions. Respect, respect, and once again respect. And, of course, the transparency in communication with the company is also vital,” – says Heorhiy. 

In May 2022, Lviv-based riders organized a rally outside the corporate office where they delivered their demands for better treatment on the job and sought to engage company representatives in dialogue about working conditions. Wartime regulations under martial law prohibit strikes, so workers have been using other actions to engage with platform companies and raise public awareness about their issues. 

Lviv Bolt Food couriers organized a rally demanding better wages – read more here.

In particular, riders have raised the issue of compensation, showing how their earnings have dropped during the war, all while the costs of basic goods have skyrocketed—including gasoline and the materials riders need to repair or maintain the vehicles they use to make deliveries. 

After slight improvements in the payment system (earnings increased by an average of 20 percent by July 2022), the Lviv riders satisfied their working conditions and paused their activities. But a new cycle of wage decrease and constant disdain for delivery workers from managers, induced riders to find new ways of struggling for their rights.   

Listen to the full podcast here or subscribe on Spotify, Apple, and Google Podcasts.