Germany: Standing ovation for dismissed Deliveroo shop stewards as DGB Congress pledges solidarity and support for rights in the platform economy

Two young workers dismissed from their jobs after fighting to form a works council at the food delivery platform Deliveroo received standing ovations on May 16 at the 2018 Congress of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) in Berlin. One of them, Orry Mittenmayer, the last elected shop steward still at Deliveroo after workers began organizing in February, had his contract terminated only one week before the Congress. Michaela Rosenberger, president of the German Food and Allied Workers (NGG), strongly denounced the precarious conditions which leave workers with no job security, no social protection and wages which can fall below the national minimum. A resolution calling on Deliveroo to reinstate all dismissed shop stewards, provide secure, direct employment contracts, end bogus ‘self-employment’ and enter into negotiations for a collective agreement with the NGG was unanimously adopted. The demands extend to other delivery services and digital platforms.

Hubertus Heil, Minister for Labour and Social Affairs, expressed his commitment to ensuring full employment rights for platform workers, emphasizing that digitalization cannot equate to exploitation.