Fabrizio Croci, for all “Tito” had 59 years He worked as a courier delivering food and packages. His body was intact (he still played soccer), but he collapsed on the morning of April 14, 2023, at the end of an interminable day of work in the tropical heat. His heart couldn't cope with the physical exertion, and there was nothing that could be done for "Tito": a sudden heart attack.
In those days, there was much discussion about the modern-day slavery-like conditions in which delivery riders work, even in Italy. After numerous complaints, in the wake of Fabrizio Croci's tragic death, the situation has returned to square one, if not worsened.
The latest insult to delivery riders came from regional ordinances intended to protect workers from excessive heat. Virtually all regions have adopted a measure prohibiting a series of jobs when temperatures reach 40 degrees Celsius. Specifically, the time slot prohibited is the most at-risk, from 12:30 PM to 4:00 PM.
It's a shame that this sacrosanct provision doesn't apply to delivery drivers in some regions, and in any case, none of them can benefit from it for two obvious reasons. The first is that the restricted time slot is during lunchtime, the most frequent ordering period of the day. The companies that provide this service will never be able to accept the idea of suspending delivery drivers' work during their busiest hours.
The second reason is even more obvious: riders have no fixed compensation, and all they earn is on a piecework basis. It's impossible for a rider to stop, even when the heat is blowing, as it means they're no longer earning. Yet it would be enough to explicitly extend riders' protections for the scorching heat, or, as the union proposes, provide for layoffs for them in some cases as well.
Meanwhile, the riders silently endure the absurd discrimination, and Ahmed, a Pakistani, and Rashidi, an Egyptian, continue to work even in 40-degree heat, non-stop and without breaks. Ahmed, a twenty-year-old, is raising money for his studies; Rashidi, a house painter, also works and needs money to bring his wife and son to Italy.
Read also
- Why riders need to be legalized
- Glovo: Why it's time to ban home deliveries with its own brand
- Coronavirus effect: rider tips doubled. We've become more generous with cyclist delivery drivers.
Want to see a selection of our news?
- Sign up to our newsletter clicking here;
- We are also up Google News , activate the star to add us to your favorite sources;
- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram e Pinterest.