Delivery services | Longest strike at Lieferando

According to the Food, Beverages and Catering Union (NGG), more than 100 employees of the Lieferando delivery service in Hamburg went on strike over the weekend. The NGG called for a 36-hour strike – the longest in the company's history. "I'm very pleased with the turnout," said NGG union member Mark Baumeister in an interview with "nd." Lieferando employs around 500 people in Hamburg.

For two years, the NGG (National Union of German Trade Unions) has been demanding a collective bargaining agreement for the company's approximately 6,000 employees nationwide. But the parent company Just Eat Takeaway is blocking this, Baumeister criticizes. "After the high inflation of recent years, a collective bargaining agreement is long overdue," he explains the strike.

A collective bargaining agreement is all the more urgent because, starting in August, so-called "order bonuses," which earned drivers several hundred euros a month, are to be abolished. According to the union, this affects slightly less than half of couriers. A Bundestag report shows that these bonuses encourage risky behavior on the road. The NGG (National Transport and Goods Union) is calling for a legally compliant collective bargaining agreement instead.

Spin-offs and precarious jobs

The NGG also accuses Lieferando of building a "shadow fleet." Employees are laid off and rehired through subcontractors under precarious conditions. After closing its logistics operations in Austria, Lieferando also laid off around 500 drivers in Berlin . Companies like Fleetlery subsequently allegedly rehired them under worse conditions.

The subcontractor describes itself as a "partner for temporary employment and temporary worker placement in the courier service." Union sources say that such service providers sometimes pay wages in cash, violate minimum wage regulations, and fail to announce working hours. Fleetlery had not responded by press time.

The NGG suspects that Lieferando's approach is intended to circumvent the EU Platform Directive , which is to be implemented into national law by December 2026. The directive stipulates that platform companies are liable for subcontractors and that employees are automatically considered permanent employees if certain criteria are met. "To circumvent this, Lieferando relies on work contracts and temporary employment," Baumeister criticizes.

Company rejects allegations

A spokesperson for Lieferando rejected the criticism in response to an inquiry from "nd." The accusation that the company lays off employees and then hires them back at lower rates through subcontractors is "grossly misleading." The company does not share contact details and has not laid off drivers in Berlin "to any significant extent."

Regarding the elimination of bonuses, the company explained that most drivers commute by bicycle and would not be affected. They earn an average of over €14 per hour in Germany, and in any case, above the minimum wage. Furthermore, a works agreement for a new bonus model was presented to the works councils.

No cooperation with the union?

NGG union representative Baumann disagrees: The job cuts aren't just about layoffs, but also about expiring fixed-term contracts. Furthermore, the claim that there is a works agreement on bonuses ready for signature is false. The union should be responsible for such negotiations, "not the works councils," he emphasizes. According to NGG, Lieferando refuses to cooperate with the union.

When asked about the demand for a collective bargaining agreement, the company stated that this would exacerbate competitive disparities . "Lieferando is currently the only food ordering platform with a direct employment model on the market." A collective bargaining agreement would result in even fewer providers employing drivers directly, to the detriment of the rights and salaries of drivers across the industry, the statement states.

The NGG therefore proposes a generally binding collective agreement to set standards for the entire industry. They have already consulted with politicians, who support this idea. The Federal Ministry of Labor can declare collective agreements generally binding by decree, so that they apply to the entire industry.

Stable economic situation and takeover

Just Eat Takeaway increased its adjusted pre-tax profit (EBITDA) in Northern Europe by five million euros in 2024. The region includes countries such as Germany, Poland, and the Netherlands, with Germany being the largest market. User numbers remained stable at 30 million.

Despite profitability, the company's financial flexibility is limited. At the same time, Just Eat Takeaway is facing a takeover by Prosus, the South African major shareholder of Delivery Hero. The deal, valued at €4.1 billion, is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Critics fear further restructuring at the expense of employees.

Meanwhile, the NGG strike wave continues. "Hamburg is just the beginning. Lieferando makes the most profit in the big cities. We're making them our strike cities," announced union secretary Vincent Orth.