Reports came out early today that delivery workers throughout Latin America are striking. Such an industrial move has spread "far and wide" across both platforms and borders.

Indeed, Chile, Costa Rica, Argentina, Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, and more are reportedly filled with couriers. However, this time, they are not there to diligently deliver. They are there to protest. Famous delivery app names are said to be affected. Among them include UberEats, Glovo, SinDelantal, and Pedidosya.

And, even though there is always the so-called "push-and-pull negotiation between labor and owners" in what is considered "a tight-margin gig economy industry," the COVID-19 crisis has indeed, placed the negotiations in unadorned contradiction as delivery workers are feeding the world currently under lockdown. 

Appeal to the Government and the Public

Mobility, as well as activist mobilization, are currently associated with each other nowadays as the industry has unsuspectingly turned out to be a focus of most government's policies to ensure people are staying home. Last week, Contxto came out with a report about the revolutionary partnership "between mobility and last-mile delivery apps" particularly in Colombia.

This collective move, according to the report, was on the owners' part to appeal to the country and the government to allow them to work minus the strict restrictions with unmanageable regulations. Delivery workers have also been reportedly striking, although just on a smaller scale. Certainly too, in what's described as a more isolated manner, Latin America saw similar protests in the latter part of April and early this month, although, also on a smaller scale.

However, despite the protests, demands of the said parties are admittedly tough to reconcile. Worldwide microeconomic uncertainty has placed the needs augmented benefits and loggerheads of workers with the need of the companies to cover shortfalls and reduce costs.

The economy, as Contxto reported, is said to be globalized, "to take on the entire world is a bit of a tall order" to stick to one's own nation or city, is never going far enough. Relatively, it would appear that the regional tactic is the answer to the problem. Although the negotiations are seen to be difficult, startups, including their workers need to engage in an agreement. This, according to a report, is not just a moral obligation, but "ecosystem's raison d'être, instead."


They are Essential Workers, Too

Indeed, the delivery workers of Latin America want to prove to the public they are essential workers, too. And, to show everyone how essential they work is, they are staging a strike and this is undoubtedly affecting people who rely so much on delivery of the products they purchase, particularly, food. 

Now, they have framed their demands within the background of this pandemic, with the hope of being compensated for their selfless deeds in risking their lives by exposing themselves in the contagion's way.

Among the delivery, workers are demanding to include a minimum wage, adequate health, and protective gear synchronized with the extended hours they're working, consistent terms and conditions for employees, end of instantaneous firings without a valid reason for disconnection, and provisions for healthcare and pension benefits.

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