The Milan Public Prosecutor’s Office has sent a clear message to the platform economy: the systematic exploitation of workers is a criminal matter. Following a recent investigation into Foodinho (Glovo), Italian authorities have now placed Deliveroo Italy under judicial supervision. This rare legal measure, typically reserved for cases involving “caporalato” (gangmaster-style labor exploitation), follows evidence that couriers were being paid wages up to 90% below the poverty line.
The investigation highlights a structural business model oriented toward maximising profits by exploiting the economic vulnerability of riders, many of whom are foreign nationals. For the first time, prosecutors are also scrutinising the supply chain, asking major retail and fast-food giants that rely on these platforms to prove they are not complicit in these exploitative practices.
Digital “Caporalato” and Bogus Self-Employment
The court’s findings confirm thatwhile these riders are formally classified as self-employed (by the platforms), they are in fact subjected to the strict control typical of subordinate employment. Because they are managed via a digital platform that dictates their every move, they lack any genuine entrepreneurial independence. The prosecutor’s office views this as a digital evolution of “caporalato,” where the algorithm replaces the traditional gangmaster to enforce grueling conditions and insufficient pay.
The European Transport Workers’ Federation maintains that these judicial findings confirm what we have long argued: “self-employment” in the platform sector is frequently a legal fiction used to dodge employer responsibilities and labour costs.
Our Demands:
- Swift Implementation of the Platform Work Directive (PWD): Member states face a December 2026 deadline to transpose the PWD into national law. We demand that this implementation happen immediately and effectively. The directive establishes a legal presumption of employment, which is the only way to end the era of “bogus” self-employment and ensure workers are no longer denied their fundamental rights.
- Full Coverage Under the National Transport and Logistics CBA: Our Italian members are clear that all couriers must be covered by the existing National Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for Transport and Logistics. This contract already contains a chapter specifically for this sector and is successfully applied by other delivery platforms that maintain formal employment relations. There is no excuse for Deliveroo or Glovo to operate outside this framework while their competitors play by the rules.
The findings in Milan prove that the current “gig” model is not just a digital innovation but a regression into labor exploitation. The ETF will continue to support its affiliates in ensuring that every transport worker in the delivery sector is recognized for what they are: a worker with a right to a living wage and full social protections.
