The couriers of the food delivery service Bolt Food in Kyiv announced the beginning of the strike. Based on the information on the Telegram channel Bolt_STRIKE_INFO, it had been prepared since August 17. The reason was the change of couriers’ working conditions, namely the reduction of payment by almost 50% for which executed order, as reported by the civic institution Trudovi Initsiatyvy NGO on its Facebook page.
- During the strike, couriers disable the Bolt Food application every day after 2 pm so that the company cannot perform its functions due to a shortage of workers.
- The couriers stick stickers with the inscription “Couriers go on strike” on their backpacks and the buildings of Kyiv in solidarity with each other.
- The couriers are demanding a minimum revenue threshold per order, bonuses, quality health insurance, and vehicle registration.
Ihor Shramko, the Country Manager of Bolt Food in Ukraine, commented on the situation. He stated that the income of the Bolt Food couriers was the highest in the Ukrainian market and that the company provided insurance to workers from the first day the service was launched:
High courier profits are generated by a combination of basic income and bonuses and are ensured by having a sufficient number of orders. That is why we reserve the right to combine these tools.
At the same time, the income of our couriers is steadily high due to the growth in the number of orders. In the future, we plan to continue stimulating the growth of demand for Bolt Food services by investing in this area. This policy will be economically beneficial for both the company and the couriers.
The company will be able to increase its customer base, bring new restaurants to the app, and improve its offerings. In turn, couriers will be able to get more orders and increase their profits.