Italian justice intervenes in Glovo subsidiary for exploitation of delivery drivers

BarcelonaThe Milan Public Prosecutor's Office has ordered the "urgent" placement of Foodinho, a subsidiary of the delivery platform Glovo, under judicial control, alleging that it exploits its workers. The decree, issued by prosecutor Paolo Storari and obtained by EFE, must be ratified by a judge and targets Foodinho, the company that manages Glovo in Italy, and its sole administrator, Òscar Pierre. This measure would entail the appointment of a court-appointed administrator to supervise and control the company in Italy while the allegations are investigated. The prosecutor accuses the company of "hiring labor under exploitative conditions, taking advantage of the employees' vulnerable situation." Specifically, the company paid its delivery drivers—approximately 2,000 in Milan alone and 40,000 across Italy—a wage that was, in some cases, 81.62% lower than the amount stipulated in the collective bargaining agreement. "A figure that is disproportionate to both the quality and quantity of work performed to guarantee a free and dignified existence, and which clearly does not comply with the national collective bargaining agreements stipulated" by the unions, the prosecutor argues. He also accuses Foodinho of "adopting a company policy that explicitly disregards the requirements of respecting the law." Italian authorities have appointed a court-appointed administrator who will oversee the management of the company under investigation and report to the judge on its situation. The investigation by the Milanese Public Prosecutor's Office, described in a report of more than 50 pages, also includes statements from some of the delivery drivers who work for Foodinho, all of whom are foreign nationals. Many claim that they worked up to 12 hours a day, received €2.50 per delivery, and were required to be constantly geolocated with few breaks, among other things. Last August, a labor court in Milan ordered Glovo to pay its delivery drivers in Italy more due to the extreme heat and to provide them with protective equipment, deeming the company's measures "inadequate."