Lieferando Announces 2,000 Job Cuts, Sparking Berlin Protests
Lieferando, a German food delivery service, has announced significant job cuts, with around 2,000 positions set to be eliminated. The layoffs will indeed impact employees in Hamburg, affecting roughly 20% of its delivery workforce. The company expects minimal disruption to customers, despite planned walkouts by employees in Berlin protesting the cuts.
Dozens of Lieferando employees staged walkouts in Berlin this week to voice their discontent over the planned job cuts. The strike aims to push for a collective bargaining agreement with the company. Berlin's Senator for Labor and Social Affairs, Cansel Kiziltepe, has shown solidarity with the striking workers and plans to introduce a motion for mandatory direct employment.
Lieferando, part of Just Eat Takeaway, manages its German operations through Lieferando Marktplatz Gesellschaft. The company has stated that only a small number of employees are expected to join the strike, asserting that it won't affect customers. However, the company's future plans for last-mile deliveries involve relying more on external subcontractors. While most drivers will remain directly employed, about 5% of delivery volume will be outsourced to third-party providers. Lieferando has not publicly named these subcontractors, but in some Berlin districts and Potsdam, deliveries are already being handled by external providers, with Fleetlery being one such company, though its official role remains unclear.
Lieferando's job cuts, affecting around 2,000 employees, have sparked protests in Berlin. The company expects minimal customer disruption and plans to outsource more last-mile deliveries to external subcontractors. Berlin's labor senator has shown support for the striking workers and plans to introduce a motion for mandatory direct employment.
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