Deliveroo to pull out of Spain
In Spain, the deadline for legislation passed in May that forces delivery services like Deliveroo, Glovo and Uber Eats to employ all their deliverers on a regular employee contract expires on 12 August. At present these companies' "riders" work on a false self-employment basis, as a court had previously ruled. Deliveroo's announcement that it is leaving Spain triggers diverging reactions in the national media.
Cause for celebration
That's one exploitative company fewer, eldiario.es comments jubilantly:
“Those who find themselves in the position of having to work for companies like Deliveroo because they have no other choice are not doing their job in freedom but are forced to submit to labour exploitation without the possibility to demand measures that protect their rights. Therefore, it is good news if an oppressive company like Deliveroo disappears because of [worker-friendly] legislation like the 'rider law' which only allows companies that respect the rights of employees to exist. The employer weeps, the employee rejoices.”
Jobs must not be lost
Those who lose their jobs will gain little from worker-friendly legislation, El Mundo points out:
“The so-called new economy must not grow in advanced democracies like ours at the expense of the rights won by workers. But the disruptive nature of this production model requires a corresponding updating of labour relations. Taking into account the delivery personnel and other staff, Deliveroo employs almost 4,000 people in Spain. The abrupt termination of their activities can only be explained by a law designed to protect employees but which also destroys jobs.”