Summary of the Moscow Region Prosecution Office’s Review into Wildberries Worker Rights Allegations
The Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation directed the Prosecutor of the Moscow Region to examine reports alleging violations of workers’ rights at Wildberries, the online marketplace. The statement was released by the press service of the regional prosecutor’s office.
The Moscow District Prosecutor’s Office will assess information concerning potential infringements of workers’ rights at Wildberries’ online storefront, according to a statement from the Prosecutor General’s Office. During the review, prosecutors in the Moscow region will analyze, from a legal standpoint, how local regulations governing recruitment, salary payments, and the calculation of fines were adopted and whether these rules are lawful and fair.
Earlier, according to a correspondent for RIA Novosti, owners and representatives of Wildberries pickup points gathered at the Moscow market office in protest. The protest centered on new working conditions, specifically a new fine structure for returning goods and the introduction of collective liability for staff and partners.
Protesting workers claimed that since March 3 Wildberries has been withholding money from sellers for receiving defective or unsatisfactory products. They argued that the ongoing fines made it nearly impossible to succeed and that company leadership had not responded to their concerns. Security staff did not allow the demonstrators into the office.
Wildberries pickup point owners also announced a strike starting March 14 with planned continuation on March 15, as reported by the SHOT Telegram channel. The channel claimed that Strikes across Russia would be staged tomorrow and involved roughly 50 participants in a sit-in at the office. Wildberries’ press service told socialbites.ca that reports of point closures and a nationwide strike were incorrect. Pickup points were stated to be operating normally.
About 10–15 people arrived at the office, escorted by yellow Telegram channels calling themselves representatives of the joint pickup points. They declined to share identifying information with the news crew or law enforcement officials who were invited to attend. Company representatives questioned the authenticity of these participants, suggesting that the channels were embellishing a small incident into a broader revolt or strike by partners, which they claimed represents only about 0.1 percent of their total partner network.
The gathered crowd near the office reportedly voiced concerns about heightened security measures surrounding the return of goods, a matter viewed as particularly important for entrepreneurs who sell goods on the platform. Wildberries noted the risk of product substitution by dishonest buyers or managers at pickup points and outlined steps to prevent this risk. The firm explained that outlet managers have been instructed to inspect returned goods, and additional safeguards were put in place to reduce fraud. Management stated they remained in contact with partners, noting that a recent online meeting ended only a few hours prior.
Subsequently, Wildberries decided to suspend cooperation with certain partners who engaged in aggressive or uncivil behavior, issued threats to company staff, or attempted to disrupt operations. This decision was described as a security measure taken to protect staff and operations.
Shortly afterward, the Telegram channel Baza reported that the marketplace was planning penalties for the dissemination of false or provocative content. A new clause, identified as article 8.15 in the marketplace’s offer contract, was said to impose a fine of 100,000 rubles for publishing information that proves to be false or incites illegal actions or spreads disinformation about pickup points, conveying disrespect toward the market. Separate reports from Baza noted uncertainty about how the platform would identify individuals posting defamatory content. At the same time, official chat users were said to require dual authentication, with users needing to provide a nickname in the Telegram app. Failure to meet this requirement could result in removal from the chat.
In summary, the situation reflects an ongoing tension between workers, pickup point operators, and company management as regulatory bodies scrutinize the actions and policies impacting recruitment, pay, and disciplinary procedures. The authorities have signaled a willingness to evaluate the legality of local regulations and to ensure labor rights are adequately protected while the marketplace defends its measures as necessary for security and fraud prevention. The evolving discourse continues to unfold across official channels and social platforms, with both sides seeking clarity on the legality and fairness of the practices in question. This ongoing debate remains a focal point for workers, partners, and regulators alike.