Glovo commits to increase the social rights and benefits available to its couriers; announces ‘The Couriers Pledge’

Barcelona-based on-demand delivery startup Glovo has announced “The Couriers Pledge”, a commitment to increase social rights and benefits available to couriers, regardless of employment or work status with the company.

What to expect from this initiative?

According to Glovo, The Couriers Pledge, created with advice from the Fairwork project, sets a new standard that includes fair hourly earnings guided by WageIndicator’s data on fair earnings and living wages, improvements to insurance coverage, and access to training, safety, and maintenance provisions.

In a statement, the company says it has recognised that the gig economy represents a significant source of income for couriers and it wants to provide equality of access to social rights and benefits for couriers, independent of the way couriers work with the platform.

The initiative will be rolled out to 40 per cent of its fleet by the end of June 2022, with Morocco and Georgia being the first countries included in the initial phase. Moreover, Glovo is committed to implement this initiative in all the countries in which it operates by the end of 2023.

Glovo’s co-founder Sacha Michaud says, “By 2023 we expect to be collaborating with around 240,000 couriers on a monthly basis worldwide and we are committed to providing them with better social rights and benefits while also protecting the autonomy and flexibility they value.”

“The Couriers Pledge” in detail

As part of the commitment, Glovo has pledged to provide:

• Fairer Earnings: Transparency on fair earnings per hour to couriers, independent of the format of their work and also ‘Loyalty bonus’ granted or exchanged for time-off
• Improved Insurance Coverage: Assistance with different types of accidents, third-party liability and transport of goods, as well as sick leave benefit, maternity and paternity leave and access to a “Family Expense” benefit
• Safety and Maintenance: Road safety kits including helmets and reflective jackets for all couriers through Glovo Store, as well as access to bike and maintenance repair stations
• Proactive Management: Newly established channels allow couriers to collectively contribute to the decisions that affect their collaboration with the platform and foster open dialogue with couriers and associations
• Caring for Couriers Community: Training courses available on entrepreneurship, business management, IT skills or languages to help couriers develop their professional skills and progress on their professional journey. In addition, an in-app SOS button was implemented in case of an emergency situation and an anti-discrimination policy was introduced to prevent harassment

How important is Fairwork for this initiative?

Fairwork is an international research project that rates the working conditions of digital labour platforms based on five principles of fair work. 

Glovo’s initiative will be externally audited by Fairwork, and all findings will be made public. As an independent organisation, Fairwork will evaluate and report on the progress of Glovo. Also, Glovo will not be allowed to intervene in these processes to ensure that the results of the audits are independent, fair, and objective.

Professor Mark Graham, Fairwork Director, says, “The current state of the platform economy means most gig workers lack basic labour rights and protections. Workers suffer from dangerous conditions, low and inconsistent earnings, and barriers to the collective organisation. Glovo could become an example of fair practices in the sector if they commit to implementing comprehensive policies that improve the conditions of their workers.”

Fairwork’s review will consist of surveys and interviews with couriers in the countries where The Couriers Pledge has been implemented. The first review will take place prior to the launch of the initiative in Morocco and Georgia while the second review will be conducted to assess in the first three months.

Fairwork will not receive compensation from Glovo and will highlight any areas in which the company falls short of its principles. 

In addition to Fairwork, Glovo has also paired with WageIndicator.org regarding the living wage per country, and Qover and Chubb’s insurtech shield for insurance coverage.

Get anything delivered

Glovo was founded in 2015 by Gerard Olive, Miguel Vicente, Oscar Pierre, and Sacha Michaud. The company connects customers with independent local couriers who acquire goods from any restaurant or shop in a city. In addition, it also delivers urgent packages for a variable fee.

The platform reports that it has delivered more than 190 million multi-category orders globally to date. In 2020, it experienced a growth rate of more than 300 per cent year-on-year.

In addition, Glovo’s Q-commerce division is also on track to reach an annual Gross Transaction Value (GTV) of more than €300M this year and expects it to more than triple by the end of 2022 surpassing a run rate of €1B.