Delivery riders across several Italian cities initiated strikes on Wednesday, seeking improved working conditions and protections amid a severe heatwave.
In Milan, where city authorities have implemented restrictions on deliveries during the hottest hours of the day until September, riders for platforms such as Glovo and Deliveroo halted their evening work. Their demands focus on measures to safeguard their wages and health during extreme temperatures. Similar actions are taking place in Bologna, where riders switched off their apps and demonstrated in the city center, and Florence, where temperatures are expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius this week.
This wave of strikes highlights broader concerns across Europe regarding worker safety during heatwaves. Research from the European Trade Union Institute indicates that approximately 130 million European workers are exposed to heat stress annually. In the southern Spanish region of Andalusia, a union recently raised concerns that Glovo's summer protocol for delivery riders was inadequate for temperatures nearing 45 degrees Celsius.
These actions echo recent labor disputes in other sectors and countries. In France, teachers' unions last month advised members to utilize their right to strike in response to workplace condition complaints, including those related to classroom environments and examinations during high temperatures, which led to school closures or altered schedules in thousands of educational institutions.