The situation of self-employed low-wage earners in Brazil has worsened since the pandemic.
Is this a new form of exploitation?
Brazil / São Paulo - Whether for food deliveries, documents or mail deliveries - Edgar Francisco da Silva, nicknamed “Gringo”, has been rushing through the streets of São Paulo for 20 years to deliver goods and documents. He actually loves the freedom and independence that his job gives him. For years he has been the president of the Association of Autonomous App Suppliers from Brazil, which campaigns for the rights of drivers. Lately, Silva has been worried more and more because, from his point of view, the situation has never been as difficult as it has been since the beginning of the pandemic. “I'm very scared of getting infected at work,” he says.
Food, important documents or shopping from the supermarket or pharmacy - almost anything in Brazil could already be delivered to your home before the pandemic. What is only slowly establishing itself on the German market with apps like “Gorilla”, where you can order products from the supermarket, has been common in Brazil for years: the “Rappi” application allows the supplier to send almost any shopping list to the supplier , who then buys the desired products in the pharmacy, supermarket or drugstore and brings them home for a small delivery fee. All of these orders are usually not brought by bicycle couriers, but by so-called “motoboys”, i.e. motorcyclists. Most of them are mensome of which race at breakneck speed through the streets of major Brazilian cities.
Deliveries in Brazil have become systemically relevant since the outbreak of the corona pandemic
The situation has worsened since the pandemic: in order to isolate themselves from others, people are even more likely to use their smartphones to order food. And in order to do without overcrowded public transport, even more people can be brought to their destination with taxi services such as “Uber”. According to a study by the Brazilian startup Mobilis, orders via apps in Brazil doubled in the first half of 2020. What all these digital ordering platforms have in common is that the services can be ordered with just a few clicks on the mobile phone and that the service providers are independent. In this case, however, that does not primarily mean more freedom, but rather no occupational safety, no sick pay and no minimum wage.
While before the pandemic many voices spoke of a good opportunity for a small additional income, it is now becoming increasingly clear: App suppliers are the ones who suffer in an exploitative system: The suppliers have been systemically relevant since the pandemic at the latest by ensuring that other people can stay at home.
The supplier job has always been a dangerous one - it is not uncommon for men to get injured in motorcycle accidents or even die as a result.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the work has become even more dangerous: Due to the many contacts during the day, the suppliers are exposed to the coronavirus almost unprotected.
App suppliers in Brazil are almost defenseless against the coronavirus - many daily contacts
Motoboy da Silva experiences this firsthand.
"I'm sure every supplier knows someone else who died of Covid or at least was hospitalized with the virus," he explains.
He and most other suppliers take precautionary measures, wear masks and disinfect their hands on a regular basis, but you never know whether customers are just as careful: "I'm always afraid of bringing the virus home with me".
Since last year Edgar Franciso da Silva and many other suppliers have been demonstrating for better working conditions:
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Extreme working hours and low earnings for app suppliers in Brazil
There are no official figures on how many app suppliers there are in Brazil. According to the company, more than 160,000 drivers are registered with the “iFood” platform alone, the Brazilian equivalent of Lieferando. Da Silva has observed how more and more people have signed up to work as suppliers on digital platforms since the beginning of the pandemic. "If they lost their jobs because of the pandemic, they think that is how they can make money," he says.
Working as a “Motoboy” only seems to make quick money: According to a study by the Brazilian Center for Trade Union Research and Labor Economics, more than half of the drivers have been working every day since the beginning of the pandemic, and on average more than nine hours.
Despite these enormous working hours, most drivers earn little less than the Brazilian minimum wage at the end of the month, and more than half said their earnings have declined since the pandemic started.
Income from app couriers in Brazil fluctuates sharply - decline since the outbreak of the corona pandemic
What exactly the app couriers earn with their deliveries fluctuates greatly, on average it is around 2500 reais per month (almost 400 euros). However, according to da Silva, the running costs must be deducted. What is certain is that since the beginning of the pandemic, drivers' costs, for example in gasoline, have increased while their income has decreased. This could also be related to the fact that there is now often an oversupply of drivers and the suppliers have long waiting times between the individual orders.
For drivers, there is also the fact that the digital platforms are not particularly patient employers - if the drivers are delayed due to accidents or traffic jams, for example, or if they refuse journeys, the platforms often react by temporarily blocking the driver.
For all the drivers who are dependent on the revenue, this is a disaster.
“The drivers simply use the platforms without taking responsibility,” says da Silva.
Training for suppliers: "Many don't even know what to ask for their service"
He believes, however, that it can take a long time for the law to improve something for suppliers.
That is why he is committed from below to better train the drivers: “Many of the drivers don't even know what they have to ask for their service,” he explains.
That is why the association of autonomous app suppliers from Brazil offers courses in which the suppliers learn that they not only have to include the cost of gasoline, but also, for example, for insurance, TÜV and regular maintenance on the motorcycle.
“There are many who think that if they work more, they earn more, but actually they pay to work,” says da Silva.
Better protection and priority in vaccinating suppliers in Brazil
According to da Silva, in order to change this over the long term, better laws are needed to protect suppliers on motorcycles. The app companies should also take on more responsibility and, for example, provide safety clothing such as safety vests with reflectors and helmets - and now during the pandemic also masks and disinfectants - for their drivers. He's not the only one who sees it that way: For several weeks now, suppliers have been taking to the streets in several major Brazilian cities. In addition to an increase in the kilometer price, they are also calling for a prioritized vaccination against the coronavirus to protect themselves and their customers.
(Lisa Kuner)
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