The delivery riders’ struggle

The delivery riders who, rain or shine, rush about with our orders, risking their lives on badly maintained mopeds for the lowest wages, are a symbol of our time.

Just as many people who found themselves without jobs but had some money stashed away have opened fast-food joints, cafeterias and other such businesses, young people with no other job prospects, and older ones who have lost their jobs, have hit the saddle, becoming delivery riders and couriers.

Thursday's strike by these workers on two wheels, and the fate of their demands, will show the extent to which our society remains trapped in desperate solutions and arbitrary practices, or whether we are coming to a point where even this precarious job might offer dignity and security.

The riders are asking for their employers to provide motorcycles and personal safety items (such as helmets, jackets, padding...