Is platform-based courier work a flexible opportunity to earn income, or a reflection of systemic vulnerability?
Last week, the think tank Europe without Barriers held an expert consultation as part of the international project DignityFIRM to discuss the working conditions, insurance, and legal status of couriers employed by major delivery platforms in Ukraine — in particular, Glovo.
Glovo is one of the largest delivery platforms operating in Ukraine. The Ukrainian market ranks third for the company in terms of profit, after Spain and Italy. However, Glovo’s contribution to ensuring social protection for its workers remains minimal.
Experts in labor law, legal professionals, researchers, and representatives of the courier community took part in the discussion. Key takeaways include:
Courier insurance is largely symbolic and does not cover even basic expenses after accidents;
The widespread use of sole proprietorship (FOP) arrangements increases worker vulnerability, offering no real social protection;
Ukraine still lacks a legal definition of a platform worker, hindering the introduction of enforceable labor guarantees;
International experience (e.g. Spain, Singapore, South Korea) shows that effective change is only possible through structured tripartite dialogue between the state, companies, and workers.
Europe without Barriers supports the call for a coherent national policy on gig work — where the right to decent labor is not aspirational but guaranteed.
The issue of fair working conditions for platform workers must remain in the public spotlight, especially as this sector employs many people from vulnerable groups — including internally displaced persons, the unemployed, youth, and migrants. Society cannot afford to overlook their reality.
