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Article

5 Oct 2021

Author:
Gabriel Geiger, VICE

Germany: At least 40 Gorillas riders fired after wildcat strikes over wages & safety

"Gorillas Delivery App Fires Workers for Striking", 5 October 2021

... Gorillas fired dozens of its riders...for participating in a series of wildcat strikes that shuttered several of its Berlin warehouses. 

The move comes amidst escalating tensions between Gorillas and its Berlin riders, who have continued to intermittently strike in demand of higher wages, better safety equipment and consistent payment of wages, among other things...

... a number of riders from the striking warehouses were removed from Gorillas’ WhatsApp groups and then received termination letters. While a termination letter obtained by Motherboard does not give a reason for the “extraordinary termination”... some workers were reportedly told in phone calls with management that “attending illegal strikes” was the reason behind the termination...

The Gorillas Workers Collective said they had confirmed at least 40 firings and that almost the entire workforce of three striking warehouses had been terminated...

Gorillas confirmed...that workers had been fired for attending “unannounced” strikes, but refused to disclose how many were fired. In an email, the company accused the striking workers of putting their colleagues at risk. 

...“Under German labour law, announced, non-unionized, spontaneous strikes such as these are not permitted, and thus have no legal basis.”

“Following several warnings and after much consideration, we are compelled to enforce the legal framework and have decided to dismiss the employees who actively participated in these unauthorized strikes and blockades, prohibited operations and actively placed their fellow employees and the public at risk,”...

In the wake of the firings, the Gorillas Workers Collective announced that it would be demonstrating... in front of Gorillas’ Berlin headquarters against “outrageous union-busting actions.” 

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