Precarious workers in the courier industry are gaining an opportunity to have their voices heard in the workplace.

On May 1, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers launched a drive to organize Foodora couriers.  These workers are the face of the changing economy – just in time delivery driven by global companies that rely on a business model of precarious work. Ontario’s extensive 2015 Changing Workplaces Review focused on the new reality of the “fissured workplace” that is becoming more dominant with every passing year. The Review tried to grapple with the question of how precarious workers could have a voice and to bargain collectively.  The Canadian Union of Postal Workers is addressing the issue head-on.

Foodora couriers have simple demands of their employer: respect as workers, health and safety protections, and fair compensation for their sometimes dangerous work.  This important initiative to challenge worker precarity in the face of new technologies deserves widespread support.