Pesaro rider strike forces delivery pay surge

On July 25, delivery riders in Pesaro, Italy, staged a two‑hour strike that halted food‑delivery services. Within 30 minutes of the walk‑out, the per‑order payment offered by the platforms jumped from the usual €3 to between €15 and €17, demonstrating that the algorithms can raise wages when the workforce is unavailable. After the riders returned to the apps, the rates fell back to normal levels.

The protest, organized by the CGIL unions, highlighted the precarious conditions of roughly 200 riders operating in the province, who often work 11‑hour shifts, earn €40‑€50 a day, and lack injury or illness protections. The strike underscored the dependence of delivery platforms on gig workers and the potential for collective action to expose algorithmic wage control.