Should you not know yet, a massive heat wave is grappling France and neighboring areas. According to the World Health Organization, western Europe, where France belongs, is currently experiencing its hottest months so far.
“June 2026 was the hottest June recorded for western Europe and the second warmest globally, driven by the highest sea surface temperatures on record for the month, according to the monthly update from the Copernicus Climate Change Service, implemented by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts,” WHO stated in their earlier report.
This heat wave is continuing until this month, fueling devastating wildfires in France and the Iberian Peninsula. California wildfires, is that you? It is uncertain yet when this heat wave will end.
Temperatures also rising up to a whopping 40 degrees Celsius in some areas, such as in the southwestern city of Bordeaux where temperatures reached 40.7 degrees Celsius, so Uber Eats France and Deliveroo want to implement work breaks to food delivery cyclists.
But, no compensation?
Uber Eats and Deliveroo in France are concerned about these men bringing and delivering food to customers by bicycles under extreme heat.
These apps officially declared they are blocking access to customers between 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., especially if there will be a heightened alert on the heatwave.
However, apparently, it seems that it is perfectly alright for these workers to deliver under extreme heat, especially that this setup might be a no-work, no-pay setup. Is Uber Eats and Deliveroo giving an excuse to decrease its pay for its workers?
Uber Eats implied that it would not compensate the drivers for the time during the break, unfortunately, as they stated the timeslots for the suspension of services were implemented "to strike a balance between the overriding priority of delivery drivers’ safety and limiting the impact on revenue.” There was no comment so far from Deliveroo.
However, Uber Eats stated it is sending reminders to its workers to stay hydrated when temperatures peak, and they partnered with restaurants to supply them with this, should they need it.
As for Deliveroo, they are providing their delivery workers with a map of water taps, and had sought to limit the distance of deliveries.
Striking a balance
There are reportedly around 130,000 meal delivery personnel registered as working for these delivery apps in France, with 98 percent born abroad and 64 percent undocumented, according to non-governmental organizations.
Meanwhile, for Ludovic Rioux, a labor activist from a union, the decision made “these vulnerable workers even more vulnerable” in the absence of any replacement income.
Plus, according to NBC News, another heat wave in the USA is expected to hit this week, and meteorologists are warning not to set this aside.
With the calamity and the compensation on the line, how do these delivery staff strike a balance? Talk with the community by signing up for your account today on RSF news!