The app-based food delivery work in Venice is an emblematic case of errand economy, that is «the process of transforming all workers, regardless of skill level, into people who do the footwork, gruntwork, legwork, and odd jobs under a newly formed working regime» (Demir, 2024). The main traits that characterised the food delivery in Venice and distinguish it from other case are two. One, immediately visible, is that couriers in the old town are “walker” rather than rider. This is due to the specific conditions of this part of the city, where the mobility is allowed only by foot and by boat. The uniqueness of Venice old town is also reflected in the geolocalisation system such as Google Maps, which may not work properly in some cases as it is designed for standard urban settings. Walker working conditions may be inconvenienced by the mismatch between the assigned orders and the location of collection and delivery points, reflecting an element of uncertainty. Although kilometres travelled are between the variables considered by the Glovo’ algorithm for remuneration, there are sometimes discrepancies between the route length indicated by the app and the actual distance travelled. For instance, this issue arises from the assumption made by Google Maps that the “vaporetto” (the water bus service) will be used to cross the Grand Canal. This is an issue because Glovo specifies that the kilometres multiplier is based on the shortest route recommended by Maps. Therefore, if a longer route is taken, the payment will not reflect this change. Additionally, tourists also use Google Maps, which can cause walkers to be slowed down by the tourist traffic crowding the calli in the historic centre.
The second characteristic is the contrived distinction operated by Glovo between the mainland and the old town, so that walkers can’t work with the same profile as rider. As a result, couriers who live in the mainland and work in the historic centre must make an unpaid commute, as they are moving between two different cities. This has important impacts. On weekdays, walkers typically work during the “diamond hours” from 6 to 11 pm, as well as during the morning and lunch slots from 11 am to 3 pm. During the first four months after Glovo entered the old town urban market, walkers were guaranteed a payment of 7 euros per hour as per the National Collective Labour Agreement of the category (CCNL Rider). This had a positive impact on their working experience as their average earnings were not solely dependent on piecework.
As the next paragraphs will show, this specific arrangement of appbased food delivery work, far from guaranteeing complete autonomy to the couriers, results in a “binding-flexibility”.
4 DELIVERING IN THE LAGOON. CRITICAL REFLECTIONS
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