The recent decree of the Minister of Labor may offer additional protection from heat and heat stress to ready-made food distributors and distributors of other platforms in general, who deliver various products, but the main demand of these workers remains pending.

It is a question of regulating their basic rights through the conclusion of a collective agreement, an issue that has been pending for almost eight months.

As "F" is informed by the Department of Labor Relations of the Ministry of Labor, there is an ongoing negotiation on the issue, but it is conducted with absences, as not all platforms participate in it.

As explained to us, in December 2022, following changes made to the way deliveries are reimbursed by a distribution platform (ed. this is Wolt), its workers went on strike. The Department of Labour Relations (TES) intervened directly in the dispute at the time and has been mediating the dispute ever since.

"The effort of the TES is at an advanced stage and focuses on the conclusion of a collective agreement between the unions and the two largest fleet managers, who are also assisted in the negotiations by platform executives," he told us. However, in relation to the participation of the other two largest platforms, it should be noted that the TES requested their participation in the process and for this purpose a relevant meeting was held, but "unfortunately these platforms refused to participate", as a competent source told us.

Most foreigners

It is worth noting that interest in regulating the rights of this group of workers has also been shown by the parliamentary Working Committee, which at its meeting in 2022 had reported that the number of delivery men has risen to 5,000 people and that 25% of them are undeclared.

Putting these figures before the Ministry of Labour, the Department of Labour Relations told us that it is estimated that more than 2,500 people are employed in the sector, with the vast majority being foreigners from third countries. As far as undeclared work is concerned, we have been told that campaigns are continuing to combat undeclared work and that the recent campaign carried out by the Inspection Service identified 47 undeclared workers.

As mentioned, the Department of Labour Relations confirms that the vast majority of those employed on the platforms are third-country nationals, telling us that it is also important that these individuals actually work for fleet managers and not directly on the platforms. The vast majority of these workers are students and asylum seekers. Some, however, are also self-employed, due to the relevant leave they have secured from the competent authorities. This group is mainly Community or Greek Cypriots, as it is well known that foreigners from third countries cannot work as self-employed in the same way.

However, the way the majority of distributors work is similar, as the main and well-known platforms usually do not directly employ staff.

Thus, they cooperate either with self-employed or fleet managers, with the latter being essentially the employers of foreign personnel. According to the Department of Labour Relations, three companies/platforms were identified during recent audits. In relation to the number of subcontractors/fleet managers, 21 companies active in the sector have been identified.

The EU and remuneration

As far as efforts to regulate platform workers are concerned, efforts are also being made at European level, but they still seem to be stalling. Therefore, it is expected that the Ministry of Labour will proceed with its mediation for the conclusion of a collective agreement without waiting for the directive, as indicated by an officer of the Department of Labour Relations who was placed in the questions of "F".

"The Republic of Cyprus participates in the consultations for the adoption of a Directive on digital platforms. A draft Directive is currently before the Council and the European Parliament and a debate is taking place to find a common position on the matter. Given that there is no final text for the Directive, it can only be briefly noted that its aim is to regulate the rights of employees and self-employed on electronic platforms", he told us.

Asked to comment on whether anything has changed in the remuneration of drivers/distributors since last December when the pay changes occurred on the platform, when the strike took place, he replied negatively, adding that there have been no complaints since then or anything else. However, he clarified that drivers are covered by the Minimum Wage Decree and there do not appear to be any violations of the Decree, given that checks have been carried out and it has been shown that their salaries are higher than those provided for by the Decree.

Regarding the effort made by the unions to organize the distributors, the Department of Labor Relations clarified that there were no complaints from unions and/or workers in relation to the obstruction of their right to organize unions.

Salaries and benefits claimed by guilds

Despite the efforts taking place at the Ministry of Labour, the trade union movement seems to insist on its demand for a sectoral agreement, which will safeguard the rights of all workers in the sector, who work all over Cyprus either in fleet management companies or on platforms. As we wrote again, on the issue, PEO, SEK and DEOK have already submitted to the Ministry of Labour a draft sectoral agreement. The unions propose minimum wages, an indexation allowance, specific hours and a specific method of paying overtime and compensation for each route of the distributor.

As far as payroll is concerned, the draft sectoral agreement proposed by the trade unions provides for food distributors to receive a salary of €1100 and after six months to rise to €1200. For office staff, it proposes a minimum salary of up to six months of €1300 and €1400 after six months.

The trade unions specify that 7.03% of the indexation allowance is incorporated in the above wages. They also state in the contract that with continuous service of more than six months, the employee acquires the right to a 13th salary. The 13th salary will be paid by December 20.

They also state that an indexation allowance must be paid to the salaries of each employee, in accordance with the respective Ministerial Decree and the agreement of the social partners. The trade union movement also wants uniforms and various types of protective equipment to be a burden on the employer. The same applies to the motorcycle or any other vehicle used by distributors. For the latter, the trade unions propose in the contract they have prepared, as agreed between the parties, that the above are granted at the expense of the employer. They also suggest that in the event of loss or proven destruction, the employee and his representative should be consulted for compensation.