Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1309486
4 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 15 NOVEMBER 2020 NEWS NICOLE MEILAK COURIER work is marketed as a well-paying job that al- lows its workers to have free rein over their work sched- ule. As long as they have their own mode of transport, a VAT number, a food-handling cer- tificate and work permit, they are qualified for the job as one of the delivery people zipping around the Maltese islands for food ordering services like Bolt and Wolt. They are, thanks to the online system these com- panies provide, nothing short of taxi drivers for food. And their expected earnings are enticing, ranging from €6 to €9 an hour. A 3km delivery run would see couriers earn- ing around €3.18 for the trip – if online mapping directions are anything to go by, that is €3.18 earned in an 8-minute time span at most. With just two trips in an hour a courier is already mak- ing more than an employee on minimum wage. Indeed, one delivery couri- er who spoke to MaltaToday about his best days of work, said that he makes an aver- age of €500 a week with food delivery as his full-time job. On "a good day" with around 70 delivery trips and an aver- age €4.75 per trip, he rakes in €332. And that is much more than most workers could hope to make in a day. The red flags But while being marketed as a side-hustle option promis- ing independence and cash, the employment conditions for couriers leave much to be desired. They have no support net for injuries suffered on the job, and their livelihoods rely sole- ly on what the market forces provide. The pandemic may have increased demand for food and grocery deliveries, making courier work a high- ly sought-after service, but as soon as demand dwindles cou- riers will have no safety barri- ers protecting their employ- ment status or earnings. Their wages are in particular swayed by market forces. This week Bolt couriers faced a slash in earnings of 20c – largely due to a 65c decrease in the pick-up and delivery fees offset by a 25c increase in their bonus fee. The company also made adjustments to the distance rate calculations. Currently Bolt couriers aren't paid for the first 3km travelled, but under the new changes they will be paid 40c for every kilometre travelled from pick-up to delivery. Bolt CEO Sebastian Ripard explained to MaltaToday that this is largely due to the changing market relations. Tasty food, good money and… new slaves? Gig work in Malta has enabled an army of self-employed service providers – usually foreign labourers – to cash in on an increasingly digitalised market. But is this a fair gig? Should gig workers be employed in the company? Legal Notice 44 of 2012 lists a set of criteria concerning legal status of self-employed workers. If the working relationship between the self-employed and the employer fulfil at least five of the eight cri- teria laid out, it is presumed that that worker is an employee within the company. A courier could be eligible for a formal employment contract if they: • depend on the employer for at least 75% of their income over a one-year period • depend on the employer to determine what work needs to be done and where • perform the work using equip- ment, tools or equipment provid- ed by employer • are subject to a minimum work period established by the em- ployer • cannot sub-contract his work to others as a substitute for him- self • are integrated in the structure of the production process, the work organisation or the compa- ny's hierarchy • provide a core element in the organisation and pursuit of com- pany objectives • carry out similar tasks to exist- ing employees "The reality is that the eco- nomic downturn caused by COVID-19 is impacting the whole industry," he said. The company landed in hot water this week after two cou- riers complained publicly on the slash in earnings, saying that they will make as little as €3 per hour with the new rates. Another courier posted an internal email on social me- dia, resulting in a termination of their courier accounts. The company has since apol- ogised to these couriers and reactivated their accounts. "We recognise that we have handled the situation incor- rectly and took some hasty de- cisions in ending partnership with two couriers. We initially believed that there were viola- tions of terms and conditions and private data," Ripard said. 'New slaves' But the emergence of Bolt and Wolt in Malta's food de- livery sector denotes a more permanent shift in the labour market towards gig work. The gig economy was once reserved for home cleaners and care workers who would provide services informally, but this system is no longer a characteristic of the black economy alone, but represents a wider trend in employment. Bolt and Wolt's business model is a major shift from the traditional employer/employ- ee model. Ripard acknowl- "This is a new world of gig work, where an application serves as a contract of service. The problem is that these workers don't have employment conditions whatsoever. There is no contract binding them, only an application." Josef Bugeja, GWU Bolt CEO Sebastian Ripard. The taxi and food delivery company is now paying Bolt wrokers 40c for each km travelled, apart from an initial delivery payment as well as a bonus GWU secretary- general Josef Bugeja: "You can hardly call them self-employed – at least when you're self-employed you can have certain benefits or sick leave through a contract of service."