Milan, the municipality stops riders during the hottest hours, and the unions are asking for support tools to compensate for lost earnings.

OpenIndependentCenteryesterday

The City of Milan has issued an ordinance banning food delivery riders from working between 12:30 PM and 4:00 PM during extreme heat periods until September 23, based on risk levels reported by the Worklimate platform. This measure aims to protect workers from health risks during high temperatures and extends regional protections to digital platform delivery workers. The ordinance requires companies to adjust algorithms to reduce assignments during these hours, provide water, shaded areas, and breaks, and ensure bonuses are not tied to the number of deliveries made during hot days. However, this has raised concerns among unions, particularly for riders who earn income based on the number of deliveries they make. Unions like FeLSA Cisl Lombardia and Nidil Cgil Milano have called for financial support mechanisms to compensate for lost earnings and argue that the heat impact lasts longer than just the midday period. Rider representatives from the Unione Sindacale di Base have organized assemblies and protests, demanding immediate national-level discussions at the Ministry of Labor.

Bias read (Center): The article presents both the city’s regulatory action and the union responses without overtly favoring either side. It includes direct quotes from union representatives and explains the potential impacts on workers while outlining the measures taken by the local government. There is no evident bias

Il Fatto QuotidianoIndependentProgressiveyesterday

The City of Milan has issued an ordinance effective until September 23 to protect riders from extreme heat by reducing or suspending deliveries between 12:30 PM and 4:00 PM. The measure applies to workers on digital delivery platforms and requires employers to provide water, shaded areas, and rest stops during critical days. Riders are being asked to prioritize cooler hours for deliveries and avoid bonuses tied to speed or number of deliveries during high-risk periods. However, the ordinance has sparked protests from riders who feel it forces them into a difficult choice: 'die of heat or die of hunger.' The union Usb organized a mobilization event on July 7, calling for the recognition of riders' work as subordinate rather than autonomous, which would allow for proper labor protections. Usb argues that current measures fail to address systemic issues like piece-rate pay, lack of safety guarantees, and income instability, and criticizes the exclusion of this issue from ongoing negotiations between platforms, employer associations, and some unions.

Bias read (Progressive): The article highlights the conflict between city regulations aimed at protecting gig economy workers and the pushback from riders who feel these rules force them into unsafe working conditions due to the lack of legal protections. The framing emphasizes the exploitation of riders under the guise of‘