The new pricing policies announced by major companies such as Vigo and Getir on the eve of Eid have further worsened the already difficult working conditions of delivery workers.
In İstanbul, pay per delivery was cut by up to 30%, and weekly and hourly bonuses were removed.
Additionally, Getir is expected to apply the cuts nationwide after Eid al-Adha.
The cuts come at a time when annual inflation in May was announced as 35.41% according to TURKSTAT, and 71.23% according to ENAG, and debates over a minimum wage hike in July are ongoing.
Delivery workers, already struggling to make ends meet, are trying to make their voices heard by turning off their engines in various parts of İstanbul.
In this process, we spoke with two prominent delivery worker representatives, Evren* and Mehmet Basutçu.
Vigo delivery worker: Our income is falling, hear our voice
Evren*, one of the leaders of the convoy protest organized against Vigo’s new pricing policy, works in the field and is trying to make their voice heard together with fellow delivery workers.
In Vigo’s newly announced pricing update, decisions were made such as a decrease in pay per package, removal of weekly bonuses, and reduction of income based on time slots. This decision was announced right before Eid al-Adha. Last year, as well, the hourly guaranteed pay was removed just before the holiday. As someone working in the field, how has this affected you?
I think Vigo management has once again sacrificed us just before the holiday [pun intended, as it is the Islamic holiday of the sacrifice].
With the new pricing, serious expenses such as the P1 license, registering the delivery bag in the license, and motorcycle maintenance are being ignored. While we are crushed under high inflation, the money entering our pockets is also being reduced. As someone working in the field, I’ve been heavily affected by this change. Even if the number of deliveries I make remains the same, the gross pay I receive will decrease.
I even did the math to show this. For example, a delivery worker delivering 30 packages a day faces a 4.77% drop in income. For someone working a 12-hour shift from 8 am to 8 pm and delivering 35 packages, the drop is 7.51% .
There’s more: if you receive three consecutive packages from the same business, you only get full pay for the first one. The second and third packages are paid half price. This means you're delivering the third one for free.
If you receive such combined packages six times a day, imagine the total loss. On top of that, add income tax, BAĞKUR, motorcycle maintenance and spare parts, accountant, meals, insurance, inspections, fuel, VAT, and mandatory equipment costs. And don’t forget the Vigo bag given to us for carrying advertisements. We are left with almost nothing.
We are putting our lives on the line doing this job. We perform this dangerous job in traffic every day, and in return, our rights are constantly being cut.
The reactions that started on social media quickly turned into engine shutdowns in many parts of İstanbul. The convoy protest held on the Anatolian side on Saturday drew attention. How did this action come together, what did you experience?
Everything happened overnight. Around 11 pm on Friday night, we received the pricing update message in our WhatsApp groups. This made us angry because it showed how little Vigo management values us.
Then we communicated through social media. The more we talked, the more we realized the seriousness of the situation. Late at night, we discussed what we should do. Early in the morning, we started gathering in our areas.
With a sense of solidarity as delivery workers, we decided to go to the company's Kozyatağı office in a convoy. Because we work not only for ourselves but also for our families. This injustice done to us is also done to our families.
At this point, what are your demands from Vigo during these protests? Do you want the pricing policy withdrawn, a new contract, or a more long-term solution? What will happen if the company does not respond to your demands?
First and foremost, we want this new pricing update to be immediately withdrawn. Then, a new bilateral contract must be made to guarantee the rights of delivery workers.
We don’t want to go through the same scenario again. That’s why we also have demands from Getir. The MDU application used by us and the businesses must be made delivery worker-friendly.
If our demands are not considered, we will continue our struggle through collective slowdowns, engine shutdowns, and other forms of protest. We will not step back until we receive our rights.
Getir delivery worker: We do not accept the pay cut
Mehmet Basutçu, delivery worker representative from Getir’s Beşiktaş depot, shares the same views. He describes the wage cuts as arbitrary.
How did the decision to shut down engines at the Beşiktaş Getir depot on June 1 come about? How did the process develop?
As soon as Getir announced the new delivery worker rates, we gathered with our friends to evaluate the new pricing policy. We all agreed that we should not remain silent about the arbitrary and damaging new regulations. With a collective decision, we stated that we would not work under these conditions and decided to shut down engines.
How did Getir’s new pricing policy affect your income? How did the company justify this change?
Our income was cut by an average of 30–35%. Previously, we earned 105 TL per package and 65 TL for an additional (merged) package. Now we are forced to work for as low as 74 TL and 44 TL.
During a holiday period when many companies offer bonuses to retain workers, Getir cut prices and applied this regionally. Initially, it was announced that only a few regions in İstanbul and some depots in Ankara had their rates cut. When we look at it from the perspective of the first and merged packages, we experienced serious losses. The company claimed they would compensate this with kilometer support and that we could still earn the same if we worked more. But we and our friends, who already work 10–12 hours a day, rejected this imposition.
The company attempted to break the protest by bringing in delivery workers from Vigo. How did you react to this move? What was the response of the Vigo workers?
We, 13 motorcycle and car delivery workers, completely shut down operations at the depot. On the second day, we saw that delivery worker friends from Vigo had come. But only two had arrived. We spoke with them directly, explained the situation, and said, “Don’t be complicit in the injustice created by Getir. You know no one would work for those rates. Let’s not harm each other for a few pennies.” They said they wouldn’t return again. This solidarity meant a lot to us. As a team, we talked to these friends and they clearly stated they would not come back to the depot. We thank them for this stance.
It looks like Getir will expand this policy. Do you have a message for delivery workers in other regions and the public?
As delivery workers, we are doing all we can – shutting down engines, convincing those who come to break the strike, and making our voices heard on social media. But for this injustice to truly be resolved, we need support not just from us, but also from Getir customers and the public. Together, we can win. That’s why we want everyone to stand with us in this process.
*The name of the Vigo delivery worker given as Evren has been changed.
(MÇ/HA/DT)
