Gig economy: Delivery drivers will become full-timers in Spain [Video]

MADRID –

Thousands of delivery drivers in Spain working for the food delivery app Glovo will soon be full employees after the company announced Monday that it was moving to an employment-based model.

The decision follows years of pressure from the Spanish government to give app-based drivers labour contracts.

In a statement, Glovo’s Berlin-based parent company Delivery Hero, said Glovo is moving from a freelance model to an employment-based one to avoid legal uncertainties, and that it anticipated a related US$105 million hit to earnings in 2025.

“We still believe the freelance model offers more flexibility to a wider range of riders to be part of the delivery community,” Glovo said in a statement.

The new model will be rolled out in more than 900 locations in Spain where Glovo operates, the company said, affecting about 15,000 drivers.

Spain had fined Glovo in 2022 and 2023 for violating labour laws. At the …