Modern Slavery

Representatives of the OGBL and LCGB trade unions sat down with Wolt on Wednesday. They walked out with nothing.

The meeting between the delivery platform and union representatives failed to produce any concrete results. Pascal Glouchitski of the LCGB described the practices under discussion as "modern slavery." David Angel of the OGBL called the sector the "Wild West," accusing companies of profiting from some of the poorest and most vulnerable members of society.[1]

Tensions emerged immediately. Wolt asked that only union representatives attend, without any couriers present. The unions refused, insisting they would decide who accompanied them. The union representatives brought an extensive list of questions. They received no answers. "We came away with absolutely nothing," Angel said.[1]

The questions concern alleged wage abuses and questionable subcontractors. Wolt representatives reportedly condemned illegal and potentially criminal practices by subcontractors, but claimed they were unaware such practices were taking place. It was, they said, the first time they had heard of the allegations. For the unions, this was insufficient: a platform profiting from a workforce it claims not to understand is either negligent or dishonest.[1]

The OGBL and LCGB argue that the EU Platform Work Directive should be implemented to give couriers employee status. Angel noted that these workers have no control over their own work: they cannot set their pay, choose their routes, or organise their working hours. The flexibility that platforms advertise as freedom looks, from the courier's side, like precarity without recourse.[1]

Wolt is not the only delivery platform operating in Luxembourg, but it is the one facing the most public scrutiny. The company's response so far, that it did not know what its subcontractors were doing, is the kind of answer that tends to inflame rather than calm. The unions said they do not intend to let the matter rest. Whether that translates into action, legislation, or simply more tense meetings remains to be seen.