Argentine Delivery Riders Decry Usurious App Loans and Forced 12‑14‑Hour Shifts

Union leader Belén D'Ambrosio told a televised interview that delivery‑app platforms in Argentina are offering loans with annual interest rates exceeding 260 % and, in some cases, up to 700 % for motorcycle purchases. The credit is deducted directly from riders' weekly pay, compelling many to work 12 to 14 hours a day to meet repayments that can reach 35,000‑45,000 pesos per week – an amount that equals more than a full day's earnings.

Riders who borrow between 600,000 and 900,000 pesos face weekly obligations that consume an entire workday, and during special occasions such as “Día del Amigo” the repayment can rise to 60,000 pesos. The practice, described by D'Ambrosio as a "servidumbre planificada" (planned servitude), affects nearly a million couriers nationwide and has spread to cities like Mar del Plata. Workers say the platform algorithms lower trip values, intensifying competition and deepening economic vulnerability.

The union is calling for recognition of an employment relationship and collective bargaining rights to prevent platforms from transferring economic crises onto the workers.