Work, gangmastering is also digital: an algorithm worsens riders' conditions.

A reflection on the working conditions of Italian delivery riders , starting with current events and the health risks associated with the climate, particularly the summer heat. Marco Omizzolo, sociologist, professor, and researcher at Eurispes, offers an in-depth analysis of the topic.

"Numerous regions," Omizzolo explains, "have issued provisions prohibiting outdoor work during the central hours of the day, from 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm . This means work on roads and construction sites, as well as in nurseries, agriculture, and quarries, is prohibited, in accordance with the daily monitoring published on the INAIL and CNR worklimate websites. These measures were adopted in Lombardy, Abruzzo, Emilia-Romagna, and Sardinia, and were the first to be implemented in Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Lazio, Liguria, Puglia, Sicily, and Tuscany."

But the sociologist observes , "in a country like Italy, which has a Constitution founded on work and on remuneration proportionate to the quantity and quality of work performed, sufficient to ensure the worker and his family a free and dignified existence, focusing only on the weather conditions that affect the rider's activity and not also on their specific characteristics linked to the methods of recruitment and employment through algorithms, means formally providing for the protection of the worker and at the same time leaving them exposed to various forms of exploitation for an indefinite period ," observes the sociologist.

The researcher explains how "the dangers affecting the activity of individual riders do not only concern heat stroke , sudden falls, fainting, or the risk of accidents resulting from exposure to excessive psychophysical stress. These issues must be placed within a broader context, such as the inadequate management of the interaction between digitalization and work , responsible for the recurring compromise of the constitutionally mandated process of social inclusion of the people thus employed."

Furthermore, citing an essay by Maria Barberio ( Labour exploitation and digitalisation: working conditions, the obligation to be available, the dominance of the algorithm and the role of local authorities , Rubbettino, 2024), the sociologist recalls how " deregulated digitalisation can become a tool for the proliferation of phenomena of poor, irregular and insecure work , with a specific prevalence in this sense, due to the unpredictable nature of this summer's weather, of irreparable damage for those employed in this type of activity".

Among the "most common factors contributing to rider exploitation," the sociologist continues, "which dictate their obligation to work according to the algorithm's orders, generally regardless of adverse weather conditions, are hyper-connectivity and over-availability, fostered by the use of devices that represent a veiled, but no less persistent, form of opaque exploitation, since it fails to highlight the vulnerability experienced by a worker who cannot exercise the human right to disconnect. This is where riders' obligation to work even in extreme heat comes from, a more evolved approach than simply considering summer temperatures as a natural, insurmountable condition."

According to Omizzolo, "the measures issued by the regions, although essential for protecting the health of riders, bypass the specific conditions that make these workers exploited by the gig economy , which only a regulatory and therefore political reorganization of the relevant supply chain and sector could likely stem."

According to the Eurispes researcher , "digitalization can therefore lead to extreme health and safety risks , leading to the emergence of new hazards, resulting from complex and fragmented work organizational models, in which the ownership of prevention obligations ends up being called into question. These hazards must be addressed by legislators alongside weather-related hazards, in various ways. Understanding how algorithms influence or determine certain decisions (such as access to future job opportunities, bonuses, and the imposition of penalties such as the possible suspension or limitation of accounts) remains a challenge with significant implications for the income and working conditions of people who work through digital platforms, regardless of the prevailing weather conditions."

And "focusing solely on the weather variable, isolating it from the riders' work context and their specific organization, is a bit like looking at a finger when it points to the moon," concludes Omizzolo.