Uber Eats, Deliveroo, Stuart… an alert system created to fight against discrimination against platform delivery people

These measures aim to prevent discrimination, particularly linked to origin, to which delivery drivers may be victims. FREE MIDI ILLUSTRATION – JEAN MICHEL MART

Platforms and delivery people have reached an agreement to "prevent and fight against all forms of discrimination" targeting delivery people, including the creation of a "observatory" and an alert device. 

The association of independent platforms (API), which notably brings together Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Stuart, has reached an agreement with the organizations representing independent workers (UNION-Indépendants, FNAE and SUD Shops and Services) on several measures aimed at preventing discrimination, particularly linked to origin, of which delivery drivers may be victims.

Report any situation of discrimination

This agreement provides in particular for the establishment of an observatory of this discrimination which must investigate each year among delivery workers "on the situations of discrimination which they would be victims.

In addition, each platform must deploy "an alert system easily accessible via its application", allowing the delivery person to report "any situation of discrimination", details the ARPE.

The platforms undertake to develop and distribute a guide "detailing discriminatory comments, acts and behavior", and offer delivery drivers "telephone assistance to assist them in their legal procedures if necessary".

Financial compensation

Last point: a "right to compensation for delivery people" must be established when the account of ' a delivery person is suspended "in the event of a mutual report between a delivery person and a customer", then reactivated at the end of the investigations carried out by the platform.

"In this situation, the delivery person then becomes eligible for financial compensation for the loss of income suffered during this period", explains the ARPE, which must still approve the agreement, which will then apply to all platforms in the delivery sector.

"With this fourth agreement resulting from social dialogue (…), the signatories continue to build the base of rights and protections in order to & #39;ensure the improvement of the activity conditions of independent delivery drivers", reacted the API in a press release. She explains that the issue of discrimination had been identified "by the platforms and representatives of delivery people as key to strengthening the conditions of activity".

Many delivery drivers concerned

A sectoral survey relayed by the API platforms and to which 4,500 delivery drivers had responded made "appear that many delivery drivers have already suffered acts of discrimination emanating from customers and restaurant staff" (concerning origin for almost three-quarters, or even physical appearance, for 40% of them), and that "60% of delivery workers do not know their rights if they are the subject of hate speech, aggression or discrimination".