If you want a quick bite to eat on a Wednesday afternoon, you might want to try the wooden spoon yourself. From noon onwards, many Viennese food suppliers take to the streets to fight not only against traffic, but also for better working conditions.
The Viennese Foodora drivers are fed up: they have to fight for a pittance every day. Now they are taking to the streets to demand better working conditions. And especially during lunch. Hundreds of drivers meet for a protest ride at Christian-Broda-Platz in Mariahilf.
Please allow for delays
It leads from there Route via Mariahilfer Straße and Walfischgasse to the Foodora Rider Recruitment Center to the Mjam headquarters in the Barichgasse. Delays are certainly to be expected when placing orders.
What are we fighting for?
The drivers’ list of demands is long and the criticism is fierce. The pay is still unfair and there are not enough shifts to even work and earn. “Thanks to Foodora’s hiring and firing policy, a non-transparent system and the ignorance of our employer, we have to go back to the streets – until our demands are heard,” said those responsible.
Union supports demo
The union “vida” is also on board. “The union supports the demonstration of freelancers at Foodora in Vienna and their demands against the company. “Vida also demands that the protection of the collective labor agreement must apply to all riders, because this is the only way they are entitled to, for example, mileage allowances, allowances and full protection in the field of social insurance, such as holiday and sick pay. “, said a spokesperson.
More pay and clear rules
At Foodora you see things slightly differently. Foodora emphasizes that drivers have recently driven an average of 20 percent more hours than at the beginning of this year. “In addition, we have increased the average wage by 10 percent since January 2023,” a spokeswoman said. According to Foodora, the drivers themselves opted for the freelance model. But they also offer real employment relationships and the possibility of subsequent change. The freelancers at Foodora divide their own working hours for the week using a slot booking system. About a third of the slots are released by the riders themselves during the week, so there are always new slots to book, according to the company. The criticism of the ‘hire and fire’ policy cannot be understood either. The spokeswoman: “Contracts are rarely canceled by the company. In the event of compliance violations (e.g. theft of transport goods, regular late arrivals and multiple unauthorized absences) we are forced to terminate the contract accordingly, but this affects a very small number of contracts, less than 1 percent of the active fleet per country. month.” Canceled orders will of course also be paid based on the costs incurred. However, to ensure that the food arrives to the customer on time and fresh, certain preconditions apply during breaks.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
