The dispute launched by the three Italian confederate unions against the employers’ association Assoespressi, concerning the renewal of the second-level collective agreement for Amazon drivers, has so far produced no results. As a consequence, the unions have confirmed the nationwide strike of last-mile delivery drivers working for the e-commerce giant. According to the unions, the renewal of the agreement is essential to ensure fairer and safer working conditions in a sector where rising productivity demands are forcing drivers to work at unsustainable pace.
The decision to proceed with the strike follows the failure of the latest negotiation meeting between the parties, which had been requested by Assoespressi. In a statement, the unions said they had taken part with a “constructive approach” but had been met with “inflexible positions” from the employers’ association on several key issues for reaching a possible agreement. The first demand put forward by the unions is a significant increase in the travel allowance, tied to an annual wage progression.
Filt Cgil, Fit Cisl and Uiltrasporti are also calling for a structural reduction in working hours, aiming to ease the delivery workload and long shifts without relying on the full exploitation of the flexibility permitted by current contracts. Another central issue is workplace safety: the unions are demanding that delivery services be halted or suspended in the event of a red weather alert, in order to protect drivers’ safety. Finally, they are calling for an end to job insecurity by initiating shared processes to stabilise fixed-term contracts.
Unless there is a shift in Assoespressi’s stance, the unions are threatening to escalate the dispute further by bringing Amazon itself directly into the conflict. “Should Assoespressi continue to ignore our demands, we intend to ask Amazon to reconsider the operational arrangements for last-mile logistics,” reads a joint statement from the three organisations.
Currently, Amazon is not directly involved in the talks, as the drivers are employed by the company’s subcontractors, represented by Assoespressi. However, the e-commerce giant is clearly the main target of the strike, with the unions believing that Amazon’s ability to influence or revise the contractual conditions imposed by its delivery partners could prove decisive.
