Wolt couriers strike over falling pay in Copenhagen

Couriers working for food delivery service Wolt in Copenhagen are staging a strike on Friday evening to protest what they describe as sharply declining wages, DR reports. The company, however, denies that overall earnings have fallen, stating that pay structures have simply been adjusted.

From 16:00 to 20:00 local time, participating couriers will gather at Nørreport Station and refuse delivery requests via the Wolt app. Alan Tribouley, an Argentine courier who has worked for Wolt since September, told DR that pay for short-distance deliveries has dropped from around 30 kroner to 20 kroner (approximately €4 to €2.70).

“It has reached a point where we can’t take it anymore,” Tribouley said, adding that he is now considering quitting. He previously attempted full-time work with Wolt in December but found it financially unsustainable and has since returned to part-time hours.

Wolt’s Denmark director, Søren Meier Svendsen, acknowledged that pay for some shorter or simpler tasks may have decreased but argued that other deliveries now offer higher compensation. He maintained that couriers can still earn the same amount for the same active working time.

“The model is constantly evolving,” Svendsen said. “Some shorter tasks may be paid slightly less, but others are paid more.”

The strike—at least the second in recent weeks—aims to push for a minimum pay rate for short deliveries. Currently, couriers can accept or reject offers through the app, with unclaimed deliveries sometimes increasing in price.

Pay per delivery varies based on factors such as the number of available couriers, order volume, weather, and time of day.