The Milan prosecutor's office has placed the Italian branch of Deliveroo under judicial supervision due to suspicion of illegal labor intermediation and exploitation, known as caporalato. Investigators are examining the working conditions of up to 20,000 delivery workers, who allegedly worked over a dozen hours a day for wages significantly below the poverty threshold. The investigation has been expanded to other well-known brands, including McDonald's, Burger King, and the Esselunga chain, to verify their relationships with delivery providers.
Supervision Over Deliveroo
The company has been placed under judicial supervision due to suspicion of caporalato and exploitation of 20,000 workers.
Starvation Wages
Couriers received about €3.77 per delivery, an income 90% below the poverty threshold.
Investigation Expansion
The prosecutor's office is demanding documents from McDonald's, Burger King, and the Esselunga chain as part of a market investigation into deliveries.
The Milan prosecutor's office has taken unprecedented legal action against the Italian branch of delivery giant Deliveroo, imposing judicial supervision on the company. This decision results from a wide-ranging investigation into the practice of caporalato. According to prosecutors' findings, up to 20,000 couriers worked in conditions violating human dignity, performing duties for 13 hours a day, seven days a week. Delivery rates of around €3.77 meant earnings 90% lower than the officially recognized poverty threshold. The investigation is not limited to Deliveroo. Prosecutors have requested operational documentation from seven other entities, including global fast-food chains like McDonald's and Burger King, as well as the Italian retail giant Esselunga. Law enforcement is checking whether these companies used courier services with full awareness of the prevailing working conditions. In an official statement, Deliveroo declared its full readiness to cooperate with the judiciary and to analyze documents received from the authorities. The company's management emphasized its commitment to clarifying any doubts regarding its business model in Italy. Since 2016, Italy has tightened regulations to combat worker exploitation, expanding the definition of the crime to include third parties benefiting from the practice, not just the direct intermediaries. The actions of the Milan prosecutor's office represent another stage in the battle to regulate the legal status of digital economy workers in Europe. Collected testimonies from couriers paint a dramatic picture of a sector where time pressure and lack of social security combine with extremely low wages. Investigating judges argue that this situation was not the result of individual errors but constituted an integral part of an operational strategy aimed at minimizing costs. The prosecutor's office is now seeking to compel platforms to adjust rates to realistic levels and take full responsibility for the safety of those performing deliveries.