While the Algorithm Manages the Work, Couriers Build Community

The working conditions of delivery couriers employed on digital platforms continue to be at the center of labor rights discussions worldwide. Interviews conducted with couriers working for different applications in the city of Rosario reveal the dual nature of this work, encompassing both flexibility and insecurity. The workers state that they appreciate the freedom of being able to set their own working hours, but they also emphasize that they need more legal and social protection. Recently, the International Labour Organization's (ILO) ratification of a convention setting minimum standards for digital platform workers has once again underlined the global significance of the issue. In light of these developments, the workers traversing the city on two-wheeled vehicles sharing their own experiences brings to light a vital reality that goes beyond legal definitions.

Five different couriers working in Rosario came together to share their work experiences and conveyed important details. During the interviews, none of them defined themselves with the 'independent collaborator' label preferred by the companies; on the contrary, they all clearly described their stance with the word 'worker'. The most prominent positive aspect for almost all the interviewees was the unique flexibility offered compared to traditional jobs. The workers stressed that being able to decide when to be online, managing their own time, and harmonizing this job with other personal or professional responsibilities is a major advantage. On the other hand, it was understood that this autonomy is seen as a refuge only for those who lost their previous formal jobs or for those who want to earn income quickly without being tied to fixed working hours.

However, this freedom of time management that couriers possess has serious and hidden limits. The flexibility gained is intertwined with the obligation to remain available on the applications for long hours in order to achieve sufficient income. Although the workers participating in the interviews stated that they work an average of eight hours a day, they reported witnessing some of their colleagues staying connected up to the maximum limit allowed by the platforms, which is thirteen hours a day. Furthermore, none of the interviewees are able to take a weekend off and are forced to work seven days a week. This situation is highly striking in terms of showing how the promise of flexible working transforms into excessive working hours and physical exhaustion in practice.

On the surface, the delivery job seems like an extremely simple process of just connecting to an application, accepting orders, and delivering the product. However, those actively doing the job state that behind this visible simplicity lies complex strategies that can only be learned while working in the field. Couriers know by heart which application offers better incentives at what times of the day and constantly switch between different platforms to maximize their earnings. Additionally, they closely monitor special days or events where demand peaks in order to capture bonuses awarded when a certain number of deliveries is reached. For instance, millions of people being in front of the television during an Argentina National Team match turns into a perfect opportunity for them, where competition drops and earnings increase.

Although platforms prefer to manage the working routine through algorithms and strict rules, the practical intelligence of the job is actually generated on the street. This individual working model, which is expected to create a vertical competitive environment, is evolving into a strong solidarity network developing at common meeting points such as Paseo Pellegrini and Paseo del Siglo in Rosario. While resting at these points, couriers not only exchange information but also see each other as colleagues rather than rivals. In fact, this collective consciousness has enabled them to organize among themselves, establish a dialogue with the Rosario Municipality, and secure a designated special parking area. Such outcomes prove that despite the algorithm's effort to isolate individuals, workers can always generate creative and community-based solutions to improve their own working conditions.