Delivery motorcyclists from Italy continue to win in court but lose on the streets

Years of court rulings in Italy against multinational food delivery companies have failed to fully stop the alleged exploitation of workers, according to riders and their lawyers.

On Wednesday, prosecutors in Milan placed the Italian unit of Deliveroo — which is owned by US-based DoorDash — under judicial supervision. The company’s chief executive in Italy is also under investigation over the treatment of workers.

This move came two weeks after similar action was taken against Foodinho, the Italian arm of Glovo. Glovo is owned by Germany’s Delivery Hero.

Companies ordered to follow labour laws

In both cases, the companies were ordered to “regularise” their thousands of workers in Italy and follow Italian labour laws.

However, lawyers say food delivery companies have often avoided fully following earlier court rulings. Some have left Italy and later returned, paid fines, or taken advantage of the slow legal system.

For example, in a landmark 2020 ruling, Italy’s Supreme Court of Cassation ruled against Foodora, another Delivery Hero-owned company. The court said that even though riders were classified as self-employed, they were entitled to employee-like rights and protections.

Foodora left Italy in 2018 but returned in 2022 after Delivery Hero bought a majority stake in Glovo.

Riders say little has changed

Despite these rulings, riders and their lawyers say working conditions remain harsh. Many riders report:

• Long working hours
• Low pay
• No sick leave or paid holidays
• No strong labour protections

Some riders say they must wait for hours near restaurants to receive orders after changes in shift-booking systems.

Lawyer Giulia Druetta, who has represented riders for years, said companies like Glovo and Deliveroo still offer self-employment contracts and pay workers per delivery.

She added that some riders even sleep on the streets of Milan between shifts because they cannot afford rent.

Immigrant workers heavily affected

According to prosecutors’ documents seen by Reuters, 54 Deliveroo workers — mostly from Pakistan and Nigeria — said they worked up to seven days a week and as many as 17 hours per day.

Many immigrant riders, some without documents, said they work for multiple platforms to survive.

Prosecutors said the situation must end quickly, especially since many workers are earning below the poverty line.

Legal troubles across Europe

Food delivery companies have faced similar legal issues in other European countries:

• Uber Eats faced a labour investigation in Italy in 2021 and later left the country.
• Deliveroo exited the Netherlands in 2022 after a similar court case.
• In Finland, Foodora announced it would leave the market after a court ruling recognised riders as employees.
• In Spain, Glovo agreed in 2024 to start hiring riders as employees to comply with the country’s 2021 “rider law.” Delivery Hero estimated this move would reduce earnings by about €100 million.

Personal impact

A 40-year-old woman from Turin who started working for Foodora in 2016 told Reuters that the system does not consider riders’ health, age, or gender. In 2024, she suffered a heart rhythm problem (arrhythmia) while cycling long hours.

Because she is classified as self-employed, she does not receive sick leave or paid vacation. She still works for Glovo but now limits herself to fewer hours, earning around 400 euros per month.

Riders and their representatives say that despite years of legal rulings, many workers in Italy’s food delivery sector still face difficult and insecure working conditions.