The recent decision by Catalonia’s Labour Inspectorate to fine Amazon for failing to disclose the algorithms used to manage its workforce is a landmark moment in the fight against algorithmic exploitation in the logistics and e-commerce sector. This is not an isolated case. Across Europe, AI technologies have become a central feature of warehousing and last-mile delivery, often at the expense of workers’ rights, dignity, and well-being.
Digital tools are increasingly used to monitor performance, allocate tasks, and enforce productivity targets. But far from making work more efficient or transparent, these systems are frequently opaque and designed without input from the very people they affect. Workers are reduced to data points; they are tracked, rated, and penalised by automated systems they cannot question or understand. This undermines fundamental labour rights, creates an atmosphere of fear and constant surveillance, and erodes job quality.
ETF welcomes the decision taken by the Catalan authorities as a significant step toward accountability in an industry that too often hides behind technological complexity. This fine must set a precedent. Companies across the logistics and e-commerce sector must be held responsible for the systems they deploy. Workers and their unions must have the right to negotiate, challenge, and shape the digital tools that affect their daily lives.
