Milan orders delivery platforms to suspend rider assignments in afternoon heat, unions warn of lost wages

The ordinance

Milan's municipal government issued an order on 7 July 2026 requiring digital delivery platforms to reduce or suspend rider assignments between 12:30 and 16:00, the peak heat window. The measure runs until 23 September and extends a regional ordinance from 9 June to cover cycle couriers. Platforms must inform workers of daily risk levels and implement an automatic stop or slowdown of the assignment algorithm during those hours. They are also required to prioritise deliveries in cooler parts of the day, provide water, breaks, and shaded rest areas on critical days, and ensure no bonus is tied to speed or volume of deliveries during high-risk periods.

Union reactions

Union responses are split. UIL Lombardia called the decision a responsible step that shows institutions can protect health and safety through social dialogue. Vittorio Sarti, UIL confederal secretary, said,

A rider's health comes before any algorithm. A rider is worth as much as a factory worker, a builder, a farm labourer or a service worker. Protections must be equal for everyone; safety cannot have first-class and second-class categories.

Felsa Cisl Lombardia and Nidil Cgil Milano, however, flagged the economic fallout. Manuel Giovanati, secretary general of Felsa Cisl Lombardia, told Adnkronos,

The immediate response from a rider is: I can't work. The fear is losing precisely the time slot that, especially on intense heat days, can be one of the most profitable.

Rider protest

On the same day, riders gathered at the USB union office in via Padova at 15:00 and marched to the prefecture under the slogan "Morire di caldo o morire di fame" (Die of heat or die of hunger). The protest demanded recognition of subordinate employment, a national contract, and stronger safety protections. USB argues that without subordinate status, riders lack social safety nets, so stopping work means losing income while continuing means exposure to risk. The union also dismissed a €0.50 increase in Glovo's base rate from 1 June as ineffective.

Income vs. safety

Andrea Bacchin of Nidil Cgil Milano highlighted the ordinance's main gap:

The weakness is that there is no form of economic protection. Essentially, workers on those days will not have access to part of their income.

Giovanati noted that Felsa Cisl had not been consulted and would request a meeting with the city to discuss income-support tools. The tension is acute because heatwaves often boost delivery orders, making the suspended hours among the most lucrative. The ordinance prioritises health but leaves the question of lost earnings unresolved.

1. Jun 9, 2026Lombardy regional ordinance on heat protection for outdoor workers issued.
2. Jul 7, 2026Milan municipal ordinance takes effect, extending protections to digital platform riders.
3. Jul 7, 03:00 PMRider protest assembly at USB union office in via Padova, followed by march to prefecture.
4. Sep 23, 2026Milan ordinance expires.