Hello and welcome to counter app, a series of podcasts about how app-based workers can counter the power of their algorithmic bosses.

My name is Ben Ray, I'm a journalist and researchers specialising in the platform economy.

In this third episode of Counter-App, we will explore what are the physical risks to platform

workers? What are the psychosocial risks they face?

And what can be done to make work safe for platform walkers?

Part 1, Sebastian Galassi's story

On the evening of 1st of October, 2022, Sebastian Galassi died after a collision with a car while on his scooter in Florence, Italy.

Almost 24 hours after the accident, Galassi's phone received a message

from Glovo, the food delivery platform he was delivering for at the time of the fatal accident.

The message read, We are sorry to have to inform you that your account has been deactivated

for non-compliance with the terms and conditions.

Sebastian had been robofired after his death.

Deactivated from the app for an automated message.

Glovo's algorithm knew that Sebastian's delivery hadn't reached its destination,

but they didn't have any idea about the

health of their rider.

Matia Chiosi, a food delivery organizer in Florence in the CGL Union, explains how Glovo's

automated decisions work.

During the delivery, when you are late, you receive messages that push you to be in hurry, to go fast. Then if you never arrive to close the delivery, that moment you receive an email that form you are fired. It shows how

automatical is the algorithmic management. You are not coping with something

that a feeling or can understand what's the accident, what

situation, there is a death. Sebastian's death and his

...