Food couriers said they are struggling to make ends meet after their platform slashed delivery wages, forcing them to "work twice as much to earn half as much" as they used to.
Speaking to Times of Malta on the second day of their strike, they said some of them work as much as 18 hours a day only to earn €3 per hour - ending up with just €700 per month, out of which they must pay rent, food, petrol, telephone bills and taxes.
"I'm struggling," said 36-year-old Abdalla Kaseri, who moved to Malta two years ago.
"Before the problem began - around 45 days ago - we would wait for the weekend to make some extra money and it was good. But now there is nothing."
On Monday morning, Employment Minister Byron Camilleri backed the striking workers, saying they were right to speak up about their working conditions and rights.
Kaseri said some 345 couriers are protesting low pay after the platform slashed their weekend bonus.
On normal days they would make €2 per delivery, they said, but on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays - when the platform is busiest - this would go up to €4 or €4.50.
"But this bonus scheme has been cancelled by Bolt and we are getting a flat rate throughout the whole week," they said, adding that they can barely go by with what they are left with.
Times of Malta has seen some of their earnings, confirming they get between €2 and €2.50 per delivery.
'Earnings per hour have increased' - Bolt
In a reply to questions, Bolt Malta said it was aware of the strike "by a small group of couriers" and that it "firmly" believed that happy couriers provided a better service to the people they deliver to.
It said courier earnings per hour have been increasing over the past months, following a rise in deliveries per hour compared to last year.
But the 345 couriers who are on strike do not feel better off, Kaseri added.
"We earn a maximum of €700 per month. We are not saving anything, we are spending it here only and we are not managing to send anything back home," 48-year-old Shakeel Ahmed said.
In January last year the government put into effect the Wage Regulation Order, which was meant to guarantee couriers a minimum wage, overtime, double pay on rest days, sick, injury and vacation leave and an exemption from paying for equipment and fuel.
But the couriers who spoke to Times of Malta said they have none of that.
"The law has not been implemented, it was only done on paper," said 32-year-old Sandeep Singh.