Escalating Dispute Between Lieferando and NGG Continues
The city of Hamburg has proposed a reform of co-determination in the federal council, aimed at bolstering the rights of platform workers. This move comes amidst ongoing protests and allegations of labour violations and precarious working conditions, particularly at delivery service company Lieferando and mediator Fleetlery GmbH.
Fleetlery GmbH and Lieferando Under Scrutiny
Fleetlery GmbH, which has been mediating workers for delivery platforms like Uber Eats nationwide since 2023, plans to expand its services to Lieferando. However, the union Nahrung-Genuss-Gaststätten (NGG) is putting pressure on Lieferando with a protest in Hamburg over the weekend, following a strike in Dortmund last week as part of a nationwide strike wave. The NGG accuses both companies of violating working hours, minimum wage regulations, and union rights.
The NGG's accusations are supported by independent research by RBB and "nd", which suggest that Fleetlery may be disregarding fundamental work safety standards. Kay Jäger, the spokesperson for labour policy of the Left Party faction in the Hamburg Parliament, criticizes the lack of checks regarding compliance with the minimum wage.
Investigation Overview and Potential Findings
Investigations into labour violations and unsafe working conditions at Fleetlery GmbH and Lieferando in Hamburg would typically involve examining several key areas, including workforce and employment status, working conditions, wage and hours, disciplinary actions and grievance processes, union and collective bargaining rights, and training and development.
Potential investigation findings might include misclassification of workers, inadequate safety protocols, wage disparities, lack of grievance mechanisms, restrictions on union activities, and insufficient training opportunities.
Recommendations for Improvement
To address potential labour violations and unsafe working conditions, the following steps could be recommended:
- Reclassification of Workers: Ensure that workers are correctly classified as employees if they perform duties consistent with employee roles.
- Enhance Safety Measures: Implement comprehensive safety protocols and ensure regular training for workers.
- Fair Compensation Practices: Review and adjust wage structures to ensure fairness and equity, including adequate overtime pay.
- Establish Grievance Procedures: Develop and communicate clear, effective grievance procedures for workers.
- Support Union and Collective Bargaining Rights: Foster an environment where workers can freely form or join unions and engage in collective bargaining without fear of reprisal.
Ongoing Negotiations and Demands
Negotiations for a social plan and a collective agreement are ongoing between Lieferando and the union NGG. The NGG demands from the federal government the swift implementation of the EU platform directive, which should make companies liable for labour law violations by their subcontractors.
The Hamburg Senate is concerned about the developments in the delivery industry and is committed to improving labour standards and enforcing minimum wages. Until then, the NGG suggests a fixed employment requirement modeled on the meat industry and a digital access right for trade unions to improve working conditions and co-determination rights in the industry.
Despite multiple requests for comment, the company did not respond.
