Inequalities in the platform labour market. A study on stratifications in the Italian food delivery sector

Riders’ working conditions in food delivery platforms have been at the centre of debate on the future of work. Yet, the situation has not changed much compared to the past. This article explains the differentiation of working conditions and social composition in the food delivery sector in Italy. The existence of three labour models will be highlighted: a ‘high’ one, where riders are classified as employees, with an hourly wage and whose labour process is contractually planned; a ‘low’ one, where they are self-employed, pieceworking and whose labour process is not contractually planned; an ‘undeclared’ one, where forms of gangmastering occur. Riders' social composition is specific to each of them in terms of social and economic marginality.