Wolt couriers consider strike as company cites oversupply

A group of Wolt couriers has told the company they may stop work again over a pay dispute, Wolt’s communications manager for Iceland and Norway told mbl.is. The company says it has made changes after meetings with courier representatives and Efling, but does not plan fundamental changes to its contractor model.

Christian Kamhaug said he believes most couriers are satisfied with the current arrangement. He described those making demands as a small proportion of the workforce: a few dozen among more than 1,000 couriers. About 30 people attended a meeting with the company, and their concerns varied, he said. Some issues were resolved immediately, while others related to a broader problem Wolt has faced this autumn.

That problem, Kamhaug said, is that the number of couriers has been too high relative to demand. Demand for Wolt deliveries falls significantly in summer, when many people are on holiday. The company usually hires more couriers around August and September as its busy season begins.

Couriers use Wolt’s app to register as active and view available jobs, which they can accept or decline. They are paid for each delivery. This autumn, demand grew more slowly than expected, leaving active couriers with fewer jobs and lower daily earnings. Average payments to couriers fell by 40% in a year.

Wolt has stopped recruiting new couriers and launched a marketing campaign to increase demand, Kamhaug said. The company will not dismiss couriers who are already working for it. He said the campaign appeared to be helping the company bring the supply of couriers and demand for deliveries into better balance.