Outside an unassuming building in a Tbilisi neighbourhood, dozens of delivery drivers are gathering. Some are on their motorcycles or walking around, while others are trying to squeeze in through the front door – or, indeed, coming out with brand new delivery bags.
It is 29 January. Most of these men – and they are predominantly men – are here to protest recent changes to the terms and conditions of their work for Glovo, an international on-demand delivery company operating in the Georgian capital.
But others, often unemployed and struggling during the global pandemic, are desperate for work – exactly what the company is counting on. What these willing new drivers are not told, however, is what they face if they sign up to Glovo: becoming de facto employed by the company – but without any guarantee of work or workplace protection.
