İstanbul (ILO News) - As the demand for motorcycle-couriers went up rapidly in the pandemic times, the problems in this line of work and recommendations for solutions were discussed at “Delivery Sector Social Dialogue Meeting” in Istanbul.

The meeting was attended by the representatives of associations, federations and labour unions that represented motorcycle-couriers, public institutions, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, enterprises and brands that acted as employers in the sector, and academicians who worked on the matter.

The problems faced by motorcycle-couriers were discussed under the following sub-topics in the meeting:

• Right to association and models, collective bargaining,
• Working conditions, work and rest hours, wages, leave, overtime work,
• Qualifications, vocational training and certification,
• Access to social protection and formal employment, problems associated with the tradesperson-courier model,
• Occupational safety and health, protective equipment.

The report on the conclusions of the meeting where all parties offered opinions as a social dialogue platform, and the compilation of records as a policy paper will be shared with all parties.

An event “A Helmet and Two Wheels” was held on 10 December 2021 in Istanbul in the context of ILO’s pioneering work “Analysis of Psychosocial Risks for Employees of Delivery Sector Focusing on Motorcycle-Couriers” on intensive work schedules, increasing workload, and risks of occupational safety and health.