We asked riders and drivers in Europe\u2019s major cities about what it was like to work through the pandemic. They all said: \u201cWe don\u2019t feel safe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Riccardo Mancuso, Italy<\/h3>\n
\u201cI was afraid \u2014 afraid of getting sick, of contracting the virus and passing it on to those around me,\u201d said Riccardo Mancusco, 26, who works as a rider for the food delivery app Deliveroo to help finance his studies in Bologna.<\/p>\n
The platforms didn\u2019t provide workers with masks, gloves or hand sanitizer in the first weeks and months of the pandemic, according to Mancusco, who worked throughout the lockdown. \u201cWe felt left in jeopardy.\u201d<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t until the trade union Riders Union Bologna launched a lawsuit against the platform in April, that Deliveroo started sending safety supplies to workers, according to Mancusco, who is a member of the union.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn June, I received 10 masks, five bottles of hand sanitizer and a package containing about 50 pairs of gloves,\u201d said Mancusco. The supply wasn\u2019t enough to last longer than two weeks, after which he again bought his own. He eventually received a second package \u201cwith the same amount of materials\u201d in late September.<\/p>\n
In an emailed statement, Deliveroo said it \u201chas distributed and continues to distribute personal protective equipment to riders (masks, sanitizing gel, etc.)\u201d and guaranteed a refund of \u20ac25 if riders purchased their own. The company also stressed that it \u201cimplemented a \u2018contactless\u2019 delivery method\u201d and offers financial assistance to riders if they fall ill: \u201c\u20ac30 per day of compensation for hospitalization for up to 30 days\u201d; \u201c\u20ac1,500 one-time compensation for intensive care recovery, once discharged from the hospital\u201d; and a \u201cone-off lump sum of \u20ac350\u201d if a rider has to self-isolate with coronavirus symptoms.<\/p>\n
Not everyone can afford to buy their own masks and sanitizer out of pocket, said Mancusco. Some of his colleagues come from extreme poverty. Many are migrants who have just arrived in Italy and cannot afford to spend their salary on buying a new mask every day.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey told us, \u2018Buy them, and we will reimburse you,\u2019 but I never heard of any rider who actually got anything back,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe employers put our health and that of their customers at risk,\u201d he added, pointing out that the platform hasn\u2019t put in place any new policies going into the fall and winter, even as the number of infections is growing across the country and people fear further lockdowns.<\/p>\n
J\u00e9r\u00e9my Wick, France<\/h3>\n
When France went into lockdown in March, J\u00e9r\u00e9my Wick, 31, quickly realized that his job was not compatible with health safety.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe come in contact with too many people,\u201d said Wick, who works as a rider for Deliveroo and Uber Eats. \u201cI deliver 20 orders a day on average. There are elevator buttons, doors and doorbells to touch all the time, the possibility of getting sick is higher.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wick came down with a fever, cough and chills in late March and was told by his doctor to self-isolate. At the time, only those with severe respiratory symptoms were tested for coronavirus, but Wick is confident he had a case of COVID-19 \u2014 and that he was exposed at work, despite his efforts to follow social-distancing measures.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know if I got it from a colleague, a customer or a restaurateur, I just know that neither of the two platforms I work for protected me,\u201d he said. \u201cNone of them sent me enough masks, gloves or hands sanitizer. The first package came in May: There were only three [masks].\u201d<\/p>\n
He was attracted to the work initially because he thought there would be \u201cfreedom\u201d in flexible working hours, but said he became disillusioned when he realized it amounted to what he calls \u201ca hidden form of exploitation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wick said he received \u20ac30 a day in compensation during his quarantine from Deliveroo. In an emailed statement, the company said its insurance scheme covering riders in France \u201camounted to \u20ac230 for 24 days.\u201d It added that it offered riders \u201cfree remote medical consultations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wick ended up suing both Deliveroo and Uber Eats, arguing for changes to his contract and that they should have done more to ensure his safety. \u201cI don\u2019t want other colleagues to risk their health like what happened to me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The experience has made him re-evaluate the value of the \u201cfreedom\u201d he thought his job afforded him. \u201cIn March, even my girlfriend got sick because of me. I felt guilty, we were afraid of dying. For what? Delivering a pizza?\u201d<\/p>\n
Joynal Khan, United Kingdom<\/h3>\n
Until the coronavirus pandemic hit home in the U.K., Joynal Khan was happy with his choice to become an Uber driver.<\/p>\n
Originally from Bangladesh, Khan, 52, came to London 28 years ago and, with his wife, raised five children on a waiter\u2019s salary. He started driving for Uber six years ago, attracted by the flexible hours and the prospect of being his own boss.<\/p>\n
The company\u2019s treatment of drivers during the pandemic was a \u201cgreat disappointment,\u201d he said. \u201cNo masks or other protective devices. I emailed Uber complaining about the lack of material, but they didn\u2019t do anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
When his calls went unanswered too, he decided to buy his own masks, gloves and hand sanitizer. But because demand was so low between March until August, Khan didn\u2019t work. People weren\u2019t leaving the house, he said. And no customers meant no income.<\/p>\n
\u201cFortunately, I received something from the government, but I was hoping that Uber would also help us with some financial help,\u201d he said. \u201cMy family and I struggled a lot to get to the end of the month.\u201d<\/p>\n
Uber did not respond to requests for comment for this article.<\/p>\n
Now things are a little better, said Khan. People are hailing rides again on the app, and he is back behind the wheel. He has received some masks from Uber, he said, but also makes sure to buy his own stash, because the supply is unreliable. He also keeps hand sanitizer in the car for his customers \u2014 and to help protect himself from them.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a litRead More \u2013 Source<\/a><\/p>\n [contf] [contfnew] [contfnewc] [contfnewc]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" MILAN \u2014 In the first weeks and months of the coronavirus pan..<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":151672,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[50],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-151671","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tech"],"yoast_head":"\n![](\"https:\/\/snap.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/politico-logo.jpg\"){kind=logo}
<\/p>\npolitico<\/a><\/h5>\n