Riders join walkouts already seen in other Italian cities as Bologna opens Italy's first municipal Rider House offering shelter from the heat.Food delivery riders in Rome are set to strike on Friday 31 July in protest at working conditions during the extreme heat gripping the capital, joining a wave of similar walkouts that have already swept several other Italian cities this summer.The strike, called by the Rome and Lazio branch of the CGIL trade union, will see couriers working for platforms including Glovo and Deliveroo cross their arms, with a sit-in protest starting at 09.30 in Piazza Re di Roma. The unions are demanding greater protection for workers' health and stronger guarantees for those continuing to make deliveries during the hottest hours of the day. High temperatures Unions say many riders work for hours under the sun, often without adequate rest points or breaks that would allow them to cope safely with the high temperatures, and are calling for full compliance with measures introduced by the Lazio region to restrict the most heat-exposed work during the most critical hours. Organisers say the protest is a response to the prohibitive weather conditions that have gripped Rome this summer, exposing outdoor workers to serious health risks, adding that despite the regional ordinance banning high-risk heat activities during peak hours, delivery multinationals continue to ignore it and show no concern for their workers' safety, offering no preventive measures or compensation. They say Rome is now facing its fourth heatwave of the summer, with the city's streets turned into an open-air furnace. Among the grievances raised are the absence of rest points, the lack of water distribution, the absence of specific allowances for extreme-heat days, and the continuation of work without meaningful restrictions, with unions arguing that platform algorithms penalise riders who pause deliveries to avoid the heat by reducing their future job allocations. The unions are also calling for financial support for riders forced to stop working because of the heat. Wave of strikes across Italy The Rome strike follows a series of walkouts by food couriers in recent weeks in Florence, Milan and Bologna, with further action in Turin, Biella and Novara. A meeting between unions and the labour ministry earlier in July ended without any concrete solution being agreed, with unions accusing the ministry of turning up without a proposal, and noting that riders, as formally self-employed workers, remain excluded from social safety nets precisely when heatwaves force them to stop working, losing income with no protection. Bologna opens Rider House Amid the growing pressure over working conditions, Bologna has become the first Italian city to open a municipal "Rider House", a free space offering couriers rest, refreshment and support. The facility, based at the Velostazione on Via Indipendenza, offers water, cool air, Wi-Fi and charging points for phones and electric bikes, alongside an area where riders can stop without any obligation to buy something. Mayor Matteo Lepore described it as an important project dedicated to those who work on the street, recalling that Bologna was the first city in Italy to adopt a charter of rights for digital platform workers, and said the initiative was intended to help make rider work "good, safe and dignified", adding that neither workers nor the city itself should be "slaves to an algorithm". Deputy mayor Emily Clancy said the Velostazione was already a natural point of reference for riders, and that what had been missing was a space offering climate shelter in both summer and winter, along with practical facilities such as phone and e-bike charging points, which are essential tools of their trade. Genoa's city council has similarly approved extraordinary guidelines to protect the health and safety of platform workers during the heat emergency, following similar initiatives in other cities.  Photo credit: Bestravelvideo / Shutterstock.com

Food delivery riders in Rome are set to strike on Friday 31 July in protest at working conditions during the extreme heat gripping the capital, joining a wave of similar walkouts that have already swept several other Italian cities this summer. The strike, called by the Rome and Lazio branch of the CGIL trade union, will see couriers working for platforms including Glovo and Deliveroo cross their arms, with a sit-in protest starting at 09.30 in Piazza Re di Roma. The unions are demanding greater protection for workers' health and stronger guarantees for those continuing to make deliveries during the hottest hours of the day. Unions say many riders work for hours under the sun, often without adequate rest points or breaks that would allow them to cope safely with the high temperatures, and are calling for full compliance with measures introduced by the Lazio region to restrict the most heat-exposed work during the most critical hours. Organisers say the protest is a response to the prohibitive weather conditions that have gripped Rome this summer, exposing outdoor workers to serious health risks, adding that despite the regional ordinance banning high-risk heat activities during peak hours, delivery multinationals continue to ignore it and show no concern for their workers' safety, offering no preventive measures or compensation. They say Rome is now facing its , with the city's streets turned into an open-air furnace. Among the grievances raised are the absence of rest points, the lack of water distribution, the absence of specific allowances for extreme-heat days, and the continuation of work without meaningful restrictions, with unions arguing that platform algorithms penalise riders who pause deliveries to avoid the heat by reducing their future job allocations. The unions are also calling for financial support for riders forced to stop working because of the heat. The Rome strike follows  in recent weeks in Florence, Milan and Bologna, with further action in Turin, Biella and Novara. A meeting between unions and the labour ministry earlier in July ended without any concrete solution being agreed, with unions accusing the ministry of turning up without a proposal, and noting that riders, as formally self-employed workers, remain excluded from social safety nets precisely when heatwaves force them to stop working, losing income with no protection. Amid the growing pressure over working conditions, Bologna has become the first Italian city to open a municipal "Rider House", a free space offering couriers rest, refreshment and support. The facility, based at the Velostazione on Via Indipendenza, offers water, cool air, Wi-Fi and charging points for phones and electric bikes, alongside an area where riders can stop without any obligation to buy something. Mayor Matteo Lepore described it as an important project dedicated to those who work on the street, recalling that Bologna was the first city in Italy to adopt a charter of rights for digital platform workers, and said the initiative was intended to help make rider work "good, safe and dignified", adding that neither workers nor the city itself should be "slaves to an algorithm". Deputy mayor Emily Clancy said the Velostazione was already a natural point of reference for riders, and that what had been missing was a space offering climate shelter in both summer and winter, along with practical facilities such as phone and e-bike charging points, which are essential tools of their trade. Genoa's city council has similarly approved extraordinary guidelines to protect the health and safety of platform workers during the heat emergency, following similar initiatives in other cities.  Photo credit: Bestravelvideo / Shutterstock.com