Food courier operators fined for breaching employment regulations
17 operators were charged
11 food courier operators were fined €1,076.44 each on Wednesday after admitting to breaching employment regulations.
They were among 17 operators arraigned before Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech.
The companies and individuals that were arraigned on Wednesday are: A.B.K. Ltd, Alexia Bongailas, Awamz Limited, Keith Zammit, AL-Yashfa LTD, Grey Ghost Group, JSA consultants Ltd, Miran Malta Ltd, BMF Services Ltd, Europe Staff Ltd, Skzem Limited, Twenty 17, Flash Fleet, Ezee transportation-limited, Mhm delivery services, Mia Advisor Co. Ltd and Look at Malta Ltd. Some of the companies are contesting the charges.
The arraignment followed investigations by the Department For Industrial and Employment Relations (DIER) into the working conditions of food couriers. The investigations allegedly found widespread breaches of the Digital Platform Delivery Wages Council Wage Regulation Order, brought in three years ago to give employee rights such as minimum wage, sick leave and overtime.
Some of the operators were also accused of breaching the Employment and Industrial Relations Act. The breaches meant workers missed out on hundreds of thousands of euros, the court heard.
Lawyers Mattia Felice, Andrew Grima and Ray Zammit prosecuted on behalf of DIER.