• This Friday, a demonstration took place at Place de la République in Paris by delivery men Deliveroo and Uber Eats to denounce the violence against them.

  • Numerous attacks against delivery men have marked the news in recent weeks.

  • How to explain such a phenomenon ?

“People have no respect for us. You know when they call us a slave it's not even an insult to them, they really mean it. That's what we are in their eyes. And when you lose respect, you inevitably expose yourself to violence, ”depicts Aziz *, deliveryman Deliveroo. His daily life is littered with shopping and deliveries, but also unhappy customers, insults and the risk of aggression.

Faced with this problem, increasingly publicized, the Collective of Autonomous Delivery Platforms (CLAP) called for a rally this Friday Place de la République, in Paris under the slogan "Respect for delivery men."

Stop insults-aggressions-racism - contempt-devaluation ”, while racist and physical attacks have increased in recent weeks.

A delivery man in Laval (Mayenne) received as a message from a client “Hurry up, slave.

I'll give you a dime, you deserve that ”on May 14th.

Another delivery man, this time in Cergy (Val-d'Oise), was hit on May 30 while being treated as a “slave” and “dirty black”.

The next day, a delivery man was also beaten up in Paris when he was leaving a pizzeria, having his delivery stolen.

"We are seen weak"

A deleterious climate, while deliveries are down since the reopening of restaurants.

“It's even worse since the deconfinement.

Before, people saw us as essential, now we're just a bonus.

Insults are very frequent, ”sighs bitterly Jérémy *, Uber Eats delivery man.

This violence does not even surprise Aziz any more: “We are seen as helpful shit.

At the slightest annoyance, it is we who take.

"

For Ludovic Rioux, of the CGT collective of delivery people: “It's a job with a lot of contacts.

At each race, there is a meeting.

We are therefore fatally more exposed.

"But more than the high number of contacts, it is the status of the delivery men which causes this violence according to Aziz:" People know that we are precarious, independent, that we have no protections.

They see us as weak.

"

Accusation everywhere, protection nowhere

Grégoire Leclercq, co-founder of the Observatory of Uberization, goes on to say: “The independent status of delivery people is well known.

There is the idea that the delivery man is exposed because no structure to which he is affiliated will defend him or take you to court.

This creates a feeling of impunity for the aggressors.

They think they are not risking anything.

"

Another perverse effect of this independent status, the delivery man is considered responsible for everything, since he is affiliated to nothing.

Grégoire Leclercq: “If the meal is cold, badly presented, bad, the delivery man is much more likely to suffer criticism and the anger of the customer than the restaurant owner or Deliveroo or Uber.

"

Jérémy nods: “There is no compassion for us.

If we were better embodied by a brand or a structure, people would be attached to the brand and would be more lenient.

There, we are strangers to the customers, there is no empathy.

"

Violence in a violent society

Ludovic Rioux does not subscribe to such a psychologization of attacks.

“I'm not sure whether, unconsciously or consciously, delivery people are more assaulted because of their status.

On the other hand, that they are not defended in the event of aggression, that is an established fact, and it is a real problem.

"

Gradually, the platforms say they take the problem into consideration.

Customers are banned for life following aggression - verbal or physical - towards delivery people, and daily allowances are provided for in the insurance contract supported by Uber, according to the platform.

Platform violence

For Aziz, the reasons for the attacks should not be looked too far.

"My skin color is a simple answer," sighs Aziz.

Ludovic Rioux: “We are in a society where violence, racism and exploitation are part of everyday life, so we can not be surprised that there are assaulted delivery men.

We must especially regret that they go there without legal and salary protection, because that could be changed.

"

“We are mostly blacks and Arabs, of course that amplifies the attacks.

When a delivery man is called "dirty black", no need to think about the reason for the attack, "says Jeremy.

Still, violence is not only where it is commented on.

"Yes, there are intolerable assaults and which must be severely punished," supports the delivery man.

But it is the fault of only a few individuals.

Being paid with a slingshot, not having employee rights, is also violence, worse in the sense that it is not condemned and that it is systematic ”.

Ludovic Rioux evokes races at 2.60 euros "more and more frequent, with the decrease in remuneration since the deconfinement.

And that, nobody talks about.

"

* First names have been changed

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  • Violence

  • Delivery

  • Deliveroo

  • Uber

  • Delivery man

  • Society

  • Aggression