In Moscow, a statue erected in tribute to delivery men

The statue was installed in a bohemian district of southern Moscow. REUTERS / Maxim Shemetov

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Russian e-commerce giants have decided to erect a monument to couriers to thank them for their role during the epidemic. And this is how the first statue in the world dedicated to delivery men was erected.

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With our correspondent in Moscow, Daniel Vallot

The silhouette of a courier, portable in hand and delivery box on the ground, is cut from a large metal plate. On the pedestal is written: "  To those who made confinement possible  ".

The monument created by a Russian artist is erected in a district in the south of Moscow, renowned for its bohemian market and the start-ups that have set up their offices there in recent years. At the origin of this tribute, several giants of online commerce: the Russian “Amazon” Ozon, but also supermarket chains and meal deliveries. According to these companies, 60,000 couriers worked during confinement to meet unprecedented demand.

But this tribute takes place against a background of social discontent in the sector. In early June, delivery men began a strike to denounce the deterioration of their working conditions, and the fines issued in the event of late deliveries. And it is not certain that this monument is enough to comfort couriers whose average salary is estimated at 34,000 rubles, or about 500 euros per month. 

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