Platform Workers Resistance Amid the War
In October 2023, Bolt Food delivery couriers held a series of rallies in several cities in Ukraine.
Since the beginning of October, couriers in the city of Dnipro have paid less for their delivery because of the new income calculation system proposed by the company. At the end of September, Kyiv was «divided» into certain areas with different payment rates. Almost the entire left bank of the capital is in a «pink» zone with reduced rates, said couriers.
These changes provoked a new wave of rallies among couriers and an increase in the number of participants in the so-called digital protests.
On October 20, Bolt Food couriers in Kyiv gathered in front of the company’s office. This is already the fifth rally by Bolt Food couriers in the past month across Ukraine. The security guards at the company explained in a rude manner that the management was aware of the couriers’ actions but had more important business.
The main demands of the delivery riders across Ukraine:
- Introducing a minimum payment of 70 UAH (about $2) per order.
- Increasing the rate and mileage rate by 70% without reducing the bonus coefficient.
- Guaranteed hourly payment of 95 UAH (about $2.6) in the absence of orders for more than one hour online.
- Restoration of weekly premiums.
- Charging of the waiting time of the courier if the restaurant/other business is more than 5 minutes late in the delivery of the order.
- Amnesty for all couriers whose accounts have been unjustly blocked.
If the couriers` demands are not satisfied, they will continue to log off the platform app every Friday thus conducting a digital protest. As Friday is a peak demand day for the platform, the workers are hoping to increase pressure on the company to make their voices heard.
In addition, couriers promise to monitor all job advertisements of the Bolt Food company to organize counter-propaganda and write true stories of couriers` working conditions.
