Covert Lieferando Vessels Uncovered
In the heart of Hamburg, the Union Nahrung-Genuss-Gaststätten (NGG) led a demonstration over the weekend, putting pressure on the delivery service Lieferando. The protest was in response to concerns about insecure working hours, precarious conditions, and alleged violations of working time regulations and wage fraud by the company's subsidiary, Fleetlery GmbH.
The NGG is demanding a reform of the Works Constitution Act and the swift implementation of the EU platform directive. This directive, which must be transposed into national law by the end of 2026, should make companies liable for labor law violations by their subcontractors.
Lieferando has announced plans to cut 2,000 jobs nationwide by the end of the year, with 500 of these in Hamburg. The union accuses Lieferando of using union-busting methods, specifically the deliberate dismantling of works councils. Works councils enjoy special protection against dismissal under the Works Constitution Act, but there are gaps in purely digital and algorithm-controlled work processes.
Independent research by RBB and "nd" supports these allegations, but the company did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Recently, Kay Jäger, the labor policy spokesman of the Left faction in the Hamburg Parliament, criticized that controls regarding the observance of the minimum wage were not carried out in the requested period. The Hamburg Senate confirmed this criticism in a response to a written inquiry by Jäger and David Stoop.
Jäger also raised concerns about "questionable recruitment processes via WhatsApp" by the Hamburg company. An inspection by the Hamburg supervisory authority found that Fleetlery "had no suitable occupational safety organization," which includes measures that ensure safety and health at the workplace.
The city of Hamburg has initiated a reform of industrial codetermination in the Bundesrat, intended to strengthen platform workers. Details of this reform remain confidential. Negotiations for a social plan and collective agreement are ongoing between Lieferando and the NGG.
Until then, a fixed employment requirement modeled on the meat industry and a digital access right for trade unions are proposed to improve working conditions and codetermination rights in the industry. The Hamburg Senate is concerned about developments in the delivery industry and is committed to improving labor standards and enforcing minimum wages.
Jäger called upon the Senate and the customs office to ensure compliance with the law and regulations, also in the context of delivery services and their subcontractors. The directive must be transposed into national law by the end of 2026, and the Senate is urged to take swift action to address the concerns raised by the NGG and other labor advocates.
Employees in Dortmund went on strike last week as part of a nationwide strike wave. The NGG continues to pressure Lieferando to withdraw the dismissals and negotiate for a minimum wage of 15 euros. The company has rejected these demands so far. The demonstration in Hamburg is a clear indication that the issue is not going away anytime soon, and the public and the authorities will continue to scrutinize Lieferando's practices closely.
- The Union Nahrung-Genuss-Gaststätten (NGG) has been vocal about the need for reform in both the Works Constitution Act and the transposition of the EU platform directive, especially regarding accountability for labor law violations by companies and their subcontractors in the business sector, specifically politics related to finance and general-news.
- The Hamburg Senate is under pressure to enforce labor standards and minimum wages, address concerns about compliance with the law and regulations, and ensure appropriate working conditions in the delivery industry, as the NGG continues its protests against Lieferando, highlighting issues such as insecure working hours, precarious conditions, and alleged violations of working time regulations and wage fraud by the company's subsidiary, Fleetlery GmbH, issues that fall under the categories of finance, business, politics, and general-news.
