The newspaper article also reports the formation of an association of migrant riders, the Italia Rider Association, which presents itself as a mutual aid and solidarity organization, positioning itself in continuity with the mutualist and class-based worker associations and trade unions of the late nineteenth century. This initiative undeniably represents a noteworthy development.
The transformation of labor facilitated by digitalization has led to the progressive exclusion of workers from the remnants of social protection legislation, an intensification of work rhythms and hours, and the externalization of fixed capital costs onto workers themselves—ultimately yielding significant savings for businesses. Indeed, app-based food delivery labor can be framed within the logistics of the ‘last mile’ and conceptualized as an extreme form of subcontracting.
Analyzing food delivery through the framework of (last-mile) logistics invites reflection on the process of value production within the broader circulation of commodities. While surplus value is traditionally understood as being generated in production, capitalist production, and industrial capital transcend strictly material production. The production process is inherently linked to consumption, as production, distribution, circulation, exchange, and consumption constitute a unified process. Particularly in exceptional cases—such as perishable goods that require swift consumption or specific transportation conditions—commodity circulation plays a role in generating, or more precisely, ‘preserving’ surplus value. The production process, therefore, encompasses both production in the strict sense and circulation. Consequently, the shorter the circulation time of a commodity, the greater the productivity of the labor involved in its production, thus increasing profit and surplus value generation. Service workers, including those in ‘Uberized’ sectors, even if not directly engaged in primary surplus value production, play a crucial role in its preservation by minimizing circulation time. Therefore, riders actively contribute to this process.
1 INTRODUCTION: MIGRANT LABOUR IN THE PLATFORM
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