There is a lot of unfair and unsafe work in meal and flash delivery. The Dutch Labour Inspectorate checked more than 350 meal and flash delivery companies in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, Eindhoven, Groningen, Arnhem, Nijmegen, Breda, Maastricht, Haarlem, Almere and Tiel. Dozens of violations were found in the process.
In more than 20 cases, the inspection found delivery drivers who were under 16 years old. The youngest delivery driver was only 13. The work of these delivery drivers was immediately stopped by order of the Labour Inspectorate. Partly because of the many accidents involving underage delivery drivers, since 2020 it has been prohibited to have young people under 16 deliver meals on a commercial basis using a means of transport.
Working longer than allowed
In three situations, delivery workers systematically worked longer than allowed. For example, by working too many hours in addition to school hours or because they worked too many days in a row. In addition, the inspectorate found 21 people who were not entitled to work in the Netherlands. Their employer had not applied for a work permit for them. This is a violation of the Foreigners' Employment Act (Wav).
11 cases involved cash payments or workers were underpaid. "Our inspectors come across delivery workers who are paid 20 euros for an evening's work. Of course, that is absolutely not what the minimum wage is in the Netherlands. That is also not the type of country we want to be," says inspector general Rits de Boer.
Safety not in order
At flash delivery companies, inspectors saw that safety is not always in order. For example, there are often heavy items at height that can easily fall on employees. Furthermore, there are sometimes many products in paths that are too narrow, emergency exits are regularly blocked and employees are often not well informed on how to act in emergency situations. The companies concerned will receive a warning for this from the Labour Inspectorate.
The checks took place in cooperation with the municipalities and with support from the police and the AVIM. The police and enforcers of the municipalities further issued fines for driving through red lights, driving on the pavement or not wearing or improperly using a helmet.
