Delivery Hero Social Plan Accepted by Almost All Couriers

"As of the deadline on May 20, 97 percent of the drivers agreed to the amicable termination," was the response from Lieferando to an inquiry from the APA. Affected are 650 employed drivers and 50 office employees. In the future, the food delivery service, similar to competitors Foodora and Wolt, will rely on couriers who work as independent contractors and are not employed.

Lieferando Social Plan with a Volume of 1.7 Million Euros

In mid-March, Lieferando announced that it would "align its logistics model with the Austrian industry standard" in the coming months. The social plan for the employed drivers includes voluntary severance payments and additional support services. According to media reports, the plan has a volume of 1.7 million euros - included is a hardship fund endowed with 400,000 euros. Employed Lieferando couriers with long notice periods would leave the company by August at the latest, the union vida recently told the APA. For the office staff, there are voluntary severance payments according to Lieferando.

Job Cuts at Lieferando Cause Criticism

Due to the switch from employed drivers to independent contractors, the demand for couriers increases by about 35 to 50 percent according to Lieferando. About a quarter of the order volume is already covered by "the new model," according to the company. They are still looking for freelance couriers, especially in Graz, Klagenfurt, Linz, Innsbruck, and Salzburg. The job cuts at Lieferando were criticized in the spring by, among others, the union, the Chamber of Labor, the SPÖ, and the Greens. In early April, food couriers demonstrated in Vienna against the job cuts. Labor and Social Minister Korinna Schumann (SPÖ) promised the union a swift implementation of the EU platform work directive.

Bicycle Courier Collective Agreement Not Increased Since 2023

In Austria, there has been a collective agreement (KV) for bicycle couriers since early 2020. Since early 2023, the monthly collective agreement full-time gross income for bicycle couriers is 1,730 euros (net 1,440 euros). Since then, there has been no increase in the collective agreement. Last year, several warning strikes by food couriers took place to achieve higher wages and better working conditions.

(APA/Red)

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