Delivery couriers face competition and lower earnings, LSM reports
Latvia About 6,000 food delivery couriers work each day in Riga and other major Latvian cities, while around 8,000 are registered, according to an LSM report examining their working conditions.
About half of the couriers are foreign nationals, often students from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and other countries who work alongside their studies at Latvian universities. The programme highlights the rental of courier accounts as a business, competition from third-country nationals for local workers and a calculation suggesting couriers earn less than they would in regular employment. It also notes that couriers in Finland are protected by a trade union and a court.
To explore the work, the LTV programme Aizliegtais paņēmiens sent its agent, Ali, a German student at Riga Stradins University, to work as a courier and examine the pay and difficulties involved. Signing up with Wolt or Bolt requires registering as self-employed with the State Revenue Service and as a courier with the Food and Veterinary Service. The requirements are similar for both companies, and the process can be completed online.
Students from third countries must provide a valid residence permit, which they receive when they begin their studies. The Food and Veterinary Service exam is a simple test, and answers can be prepared with the help of artificial intelligence. Ali rented a bicycle and bought a delivery bag.