Germany: Gorillas delivery riders protest unfavorable working conditions

The Berlin-based grocery delivery startup, which launched its service during the pandemic, is expanding rapidly, but workers say the billion-dollar company should fix local problems first.

Gorillas Technologies has faced multiple worker strikes and protests in the past month over the termination of certain employees, a lack of suitable equipment and pay discrepancies.

On Saturday, July 17, the Gorillas Workers Collective organized a mobile protest in which employees and activists cycled to three different delivery warehouses, temporarily halting

operations at each one.

Gorillas is an app-based delivery company that was founded in Berlin and launched in June 2020. The company succeeded in

reaching an estimated valuation of $1 billion (€850 million) in just nine months and hiring 10,000 employees.

Gorillas is already among the top delivery apps in Germany, but the number of competitive companies is growing fast. Whether or not Gorillas workers succeed in getting their demands met could set a precedent for delivery and warehouse workers in Germany.

"There are a lot of issues," said Gorillas rider Anna Zakelj, who named missing pay, insufficient rain gear and chronic back pain from carrying heavy loads as her primary concerns. "The company is expanding so quickly without fixing existing problems."

Lack of proper gear

Cansel Kiziltepe, a current member of the Bundestag for the Social Democrats, joined the

protesters in solidarity.

"I've supported the Gorillas workers' fights for a few months now," Kiziltepe said. "It's important to send a message to the delivery industry that codetermination rights need to be fulfilled in Germany. Our goal is that wages and contracts are

Gorillas workers have listed missing pay, insufficient rain gear and chronic back pain from carrying heavy loads as their top concerns

Workers have been calling on the management to provide better working conditions