Deliveroo trial: the relationship of subordination between deliverers and platform in question
A Deliveroo delivery man in the streets of Madrid, March 27, 2020. © AFP
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
The first uberization trial in France began on Tuesday at the Paris Criminal Court.
Former executives of Deliveroo, the meal delivery application, are accused of concealed work.
Facts concerning the period 2015-2017.
This is to determine what was the working relationship between Deliveroo and its more than 2,000 delivery people who worked with the platform at the time.
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In the dock.
Three men in their forties.
They were at the helm of Deliveroo France between 2015 and 2017. All dispute the facts of concealed work which they are accused of.
But were the deliverers who had independent status actually under the orders of the platform?
Did they work with Deliveroo or for Deliveroo?
This is the nuance that this trial must reveal.
Two delivery men, two opposing visions
For Édouard Bernasse, a delivery man at the time of the events and a civil party, the subordination is well established: "
If only through algorithmic management, the fact of receiving orders... Things that come under management in fact: calling the delivery people to find out what they are doing after 10 minutes, puncturing the delivery people when they are not fast enough.
It is clear and clear, there is subordination and on that, there is not even any more debate.
»
Camp against camp.
The defense presented a witness who gives a completely different view.
Pierre is a former delivery man.
Nonchalantly at the helm, he came to boast about the total freedom he had at Deliveroo.
In addition to these studies as a podiatrist, he worked 69 hours a week with the platform and earned 3,500 euros per month.
“
But nobody forced me to work so hard.
The Deliveroo managers never wrote to me
,” he explains.
Pierre launches into an ode to liberalism.
“
I wanted to work more to earn more,
” he says.
Unlike other salaried odd jobs… Deliveroo allowed me to.
»
►Also read: Guest France - Deliveroo trial: "
It is the absence of a base of rights common to all workers
"
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