Weekends are the most profitable time to work for Wolt couriers – or at least they were until February 22nd.
A new payment model introduced by the company on that date drastically reduced their weekend bonus, and on Friday, February 26, they chose to park their vehicles and protest.
“No more wage cuts,” they shouted together to Kongens Nytorv.
The support on the site was palpable with officials from the union 3F Copenhagen present along with other couriers from companies such as PostNord and JustEat.
What disturbs them?
According to the courier calculations, Volt’s alternative payment method will reduce the average monthly earnings by DKK 2,000.
Previously, they would get a bonus of 1,200 kroner if they could reach a goal of 100+ deliveries between Friday and Sunday. The bonus starts at 200 kroner for 20-29 deliveries and increases steadily – and most considered it a crucial incentive.
Now the courier gets an extra payment of 15 kroner per. Delivery during the weekend rush hour (Fri-Sun, 17: 00-20: 00).
According to one of the organizers of the protest, Tomรกs Caira, the new scheme allows couriers to earn a bonus of only 180 kroner a day (12 deliveries in three hours).
Tine Duelund Schou, a spokesperson for Wolt Denmark, insists that the new payment method was introduced in favor of couriers, not to punish them.
Courier: Deprives us of the few rights we had
Companies like Wolt consider couriers as independent partners or freelancers – a status that leaves them outside the social security network. They are not paid when they are ill, have accidents or take a holiday, which is contrary to the Nordic working model.
But many choose to work in this way – not only foreign students, but also Danes – because the jobs are easy to get and they like the flexibility of working whenever they want.
“Instead of talking about getting better working conditions, we are fighting to keep the ones we had in place,” explained Caira, whose weekends are fully booked right now as he will have to work 12-hour shifts from Friday to Sunday to ensure an appropriate monthly payment.
Wolt: They’re coming around … for our payment and your homes
Nevertheless, Schou claims that “three out of four deliveries are now better paid” (72 percent to be exact) – a figure based on a thorough analysis of previous deliveries performed throughout Denmark.
“It seems we have not got these points well enough,” she admitted.
“We want to make sure we continue with clear communication to prevent any other misunderstanding, and as time goes on, we hope couriers will also see the benefit of this new model.”
Wolt is willing, she promised, to reconsider and re-evaluate if the new model does not work.
Source: The Nordic Page