For three consecutive days last week, hundreds of Wolt couriers protested the recent unilateral change in their employment conditions, which is affecting their real wages. Although the demonstrators blocked the streets, the couriers received much support from passers-by and couriers from other companies attempting to navigate the crowds.
About 150 couriers demonstrated in Jerusalem on Wednesday, with another 50 couriers demonstrating on Sha'ar Palmer Street in Haifa. Workers displayed their phones, which showed heavy demand for deliveries and lower compensation than before for couriers. Smaller protests also took place in both cities on Tuesday and Thursday.
After about two hours of Wednesday’s demonstration on Hillel Street in Jerusalem’s bustling city center, which contains many restaurants and businesses that couriers deliver to, the couriers began a procession of more than 100 motorcycles to the company's offices in the Romema neighborhood.
In a mountainous city like Jerusalem, there is a large gap between the distance “as the crow flies” and the actual transportation distance between two points in the city. Wolt created a new policy changing the manner of compensation from by distance “as the crow flies,” with an additional charge for every 250 meters of travel, to compensation according to transportation distance, and at the same time changed the manner of compensation and its amount. This change has resulted in wage loss for couriers.
"If in the past there was a delivery to the neighborhood of Pisgat Ze'ev for which we would have received 45 shekels, now we will receive 30 shekels for it,” said Netanel, a 25-year-old courier. “If there is a 'bundle', meaning two deliveries to the same area, you would receive payment on each delivery separately, but as far as Wolt is concerned, if you received 90 shekels on two deliveries to Pisgat Ze'ev, today you get 60-65 shekels on them, so we are only losing and the company is only profiting more."
"We thought that the change would actually help us and we would be paid according to how far we were traveling, but that's not what happened," he continued. "I believe that it will expand and reach more places in the country, so I call on all the delivery drivers to wake up, because it will reach them eventually as well."
"There is a struggle here of young workers who are controlled by an arbitrary system, and when their terms of employment are violated, it is only natural that they go out to protest," says Uri Metuki, chairman of the trade union wing of the Histadrut Hanoar Haoved Vehalomed, "We are happy to help them in whatever way we can to promote and support this just struggle and to bring about a positive change in their employment conditions."
“People don’t see us"
"As soon as Wolt opened up in Jerusalem, I started working there," Netanel explained. ”Within a short time we started recruiting friends to the industry and specifically to Wolt. We became a community, we help each other, share tips and meet from time to time. But once everything becomes more expensive in the country, unfortunately what happens is that we are the only ones who lose here.
“Wolt wants to make a profit and continue expanding and they do so at our expense. They took advantage of the fact that it's now winter so they've introduced this change, and because there's a lot of work going on, it feels less noticeable, they've also added a lot of other couriers to bridge the gap that's been created.”
"I have a wife at home and small children," said a courier who asked not to be identified. "We have to pay for insurance, fuel, income tax, an accountant, we have dangerous work on the roads, people don't see us and don't look at us. We are here for them to give us back what they took from us, and with G-d's help, we will do it and we will succeed."
Jamal (30) added: "We work in the sun, in the rain, it's much harder for us now."
Dozens of young people, adults and teenagers walked past the demonstration and supported their efforts.
"I live upstairs here and it's the third day I've seen them. What they're doing is just amazing," said Maya Barabi (23), a law student. "And this is an amazing opportunity for them, we must join this protest," she added, after talking to the demonstrators for an hour, filming the demonstration, posting it on social media and encouraging them.
"Wolt's workers are already working in terrible conditions. If we talk about the difference between direct and indirect employment, these are workers who previously had no conditions at all, and now I'm learning from them that they still have conditions taken from them and even then they barely make a profit,” she said.
“It’s hard work and there are couriers who have had accidents, there is no way to remain indifferent to such a thing. It's also super hard to unionize, especially when they're working like that and when there are people who really need this job."
"I think it's really our responsibility to go out and call for justice for them, I think that's one of the important things," Maya continued. "In general, workers' rights are important, and supporting workers who experience really difficult conditions is very important."
Employees from other delivery companies also came to support Wolt couriers."I would like to work at Wolt, but not like it is now," said Hamza (22), who works at Ten Bis, another widely-sed delivery app. "Working with us is better, they pay into your pension, there's a paycheck, and you don't have to be self-employed. It's better to be an employee."
Wolt: Courier paychecks will not be affected by the new model
The workers came to the company's offices in Jerusalem and demonstrated in front of them. A representative from the company went out to talk to the workers.
"We listened to you yesterday with all our hearts, both here and in Haifa," the representative said. "That's why we sent you a message on the subject. We are working behind the scenes. I know you want a solution now and I understand you. We'll let you know today what's going to happen and when it's going to happen. We didn't just send this message because we do a lot of work behind the scenes so as not to hurt you and your income. We have heard what hurts you and we are coming to solve it with you."
The Wolt company published their official response: “This week, an upgrade of the payments model for couriers in Haifa and Jerusalem began, which rewards couriers based on the courier's effort for each shipment. The model is more accurate, constantly improving, and transparent to the courier from the first moment. The main innovations in the model, such as paying by travel distance instead of direct distance ‘as the crow flies,’ came from feedback from couriers. We are continuing to be attentive to the needs of the couriers and accompany them throughout this period of change. The income of couriers will not be affected by the new model.”
This article was translated from Hebrew by Benji Sharp.
