Russian e-commerce giants, whose activity has exploded since the start of the coronavirus crisis, paid tribute to their couriers. A monument was erected to them even though they recently protested their working conditions.
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"Russian Amazon" Ozon, several supermarket chains and meal delivery service Delivery Club erected this monument to couriers in southern Moscow to "honor their contribution to the fight against the coronavirus pandemic" , according to a press release . In Moscow, "more than 60,000 couriers worked during the confinement, while the demand for delivery services exploded," the signs said. Online commerce has reached record levels since March 28, the start of more than a month's confinement.
Over 60,000 couriers worked during containment
Ozon, Delivery Club and other groups.In the streets of Moscow, the cars then disappeared in favor of swarms of delivery men roaming the megalopolis, by bicycle, by metro or scooter, to deliver errands, parcels and meals. Couriers, mainly men, are for the most part migrant workers from Central Asia who are victims of significant discrimination and live in difficult conditions.
"We are not Robots!"
In early June, couriers from the Delivery Club, owned by the internet group Mail.ru, and from the bank Sberbank began a strike to protest against new regulations increasing the scope of deliveries for non-motorized deliverers from 3 to 5 kilometers. Many voices were also raised against the fines imposed on the deliverers for delays, during missions impossible to fulfill.
"We are not Robots! We are not slaves, ” complained of strikers from Khimki (20km northwest of Moscow), in a video broadcast on Telegram. Delivery Club then indicated that it had terminated these new measures and had withdrawn the fines resulting therefrom. Ivan Waiss, who heads the Couriers Union of Russia, dealing with the link between couriers and companies, said he was pleasantly surprised by the monument.
"We are not Robots! We are not slaves, ”chanted strikers in June in Khimki. Possible Moscow / Facebook.
As for the health hazards of couriers at work during a pandemic, he indicated that "everyone is used to it and works without paying attention to it" , while acknowledging that they know deliverymen who had mild symptoms, and work with lawyers to reimburse missed days due to illness.
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According to specialized websites, the average salary of a pedestrian courier in Moscow is 34,000 rubles monthly (420 euros at the current rate) and 50,000 rubles for couriers with a car, and varies according to the number of orders placed.
