Plaintiffs cite alleged exploitation, low pay and algorithmic discrimination.
At the Paris Prosecutor’s Office, four organizations supporting food delivery workers filed a criminal complaint for “human trafficking” against U.S. platform Uber Eats and British company Deliveroo.
The House of Delivery Workers, the House of Couriers, the Association for the Mobilization and Support of Delivery Drivers (AMAL), and the Emancipation of Delivery Drivers (CIEL) are seeking criminal recognition of practices they describe as a “system of exploitation.”
The plaintiffs’ lawyer, Thibault Laforcade, described the legal action as unprecedented in France and said the evidence gathered fits the legal definition of “labor trafficking.”
“The model of these platforms is often described as modern slavery. We believe this criticism can be translated into criminal law. The numerous documents we have collected provide an overwhelming and consistent picture of a system of exploitation that meets point by point the international and domestic definition of labor trafficking,” Laforcade said.
The complaint is based on testimonies collected from delivery workers across the country, as well as various institutional reports and findings by organizations warning about working conditions in the sector.
The text reads, “Today in France. Three weeks immersed in Uber Eats: 600 km by bike, 150 deliveries, €3 ‘market fee’ per delivery. Behind the screen, an all-powerful algorithm. On the ground, immigrant men, often undocumented, rent their accounts, work 63 hours for €1,480, risk their lives in the rain, and endure humiliation. The customer is king, the delivery driver a servant. Four associations file a complaint for human trafficking. And we, the consumers, have a choice: not to condone this modern-day slavery. Not to turn a blind eye.”
Among other issues, the plaintiffs allege insufficient income, long working hours and strong economic dependence, which largely affects migrant workers.
According to a 2025 study conducted by Medecins du Monde and other research centers, delivery workers work an average of 63 hours per week for about 1,480 euros gross per month.
In addition to the criminal complaint, the plaintiffs have sent a formal notice to Uber Eats, a step preceding a possible class action lawsuit for “discrimination.” This is related to the use of an algorithm that allegedly assigns orders and rates in an opaque manner, to the detriment of the most vulnerable workers.
The two companies named in the complaint rejected the accusations. Uber Eats said the complaint “lacks merit,” while Deliveroo denied that its model can be equated with a form of exploitation. Currently, between 70,000 and 100,000 people work as delivery workers for the two platforms in France.
teleSUR/ JF
Sources: EFE – Le Parisien – Sud Ouest
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