Glovo Rider Case Opens as Spain Debates Worker Status

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Seven delivery workers appeared as the first witnesses before a judge after the Barcelona Prosecutor’s Office filed a criminal complaint against Glovo and its chief executive and co founder Óscar Pierre. Six of the witnesses work in Zaragoza and one is based in Cantabria. They started the proceedings, but they won’t be the last to testify. In the coming weeks, prosecutors anticipate at least two dozen more riders will provide testimony. Pierre is also expected to face charges for allegedly ignoring requests from the Labour Inspectorate and for not recognizing the riders as employees, a step the prosecutors say would deprive them of rights such as paid holidays and leave during medical leave.

The case asks whether Glovo riders should be classified as independent contractors or as employees under Spain’s Rider Law, with court statements spanning several regions.

Analysts explain how new organizational shifts at Glovo relate to worker rights, cost control, and the scheduling algorithms that govern orders, and the implications these changes may have for the workforce.

The first witnesses described being offered in 2021 the option to stay autonomous or become employees before the law took effect, and they chose the autonomous path.

In the summer of 2021, as the Rider Law took effect on August 12, Glovo altered part of its work model. A portion of the delivery fleet was placed on salaried contracts while the majority delivering meals remained under autonomous status under the new model. At the time, Glovo publicly announced direct hires of approximately two thousand workers.

The reorganization moved salaried workers to the supermarket division while the majority of food delivery personnel remained independent contractors.

Seven witnesses say they declined the salary option because they preferred autonomy, though some later noted there was no longer strict time control and riders could accept or reject orders. Other riders stated that they did switch to salaried status, but Glovo denied them that possibility.

An August 2021 email to a rider stated there were no vacancies and suggested continuing temporarily under the autonomous model with updated terms.

Legal precedents describe a rider as an employee if the law and inspectorate view the duties as those of a typical worker under the employer’s direction. The scheduling algorithm that governs orders plays a central role in shaping this relationship and may limit the rider’s ability to accept assignments.

The case continues to unfold as courts weigh the balance between autonomy and employer control in platform labor.

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