If Congress approves the new labor reform presented by Gustavo Petro's National Government, digital platforms will have to guarantee workers a fixed-term employment contract.
The reform aims to limit the contracts for the provision of services since no public or private company could bind people who carry out permanent and subordinate activities under this modality.
In the case of digital platforms, the new reform establishes that all people who perform physical work are workers and, therefore, must have all the benefits.
Workers over the age of 17 will have a working day of a maximum of eight hours a day, for a total of 42 hours worked a week.
There will be an increase in the surcharge for hours worked on Sundays and holidays. The new bill proposes that nighttime surcharges begin at 6:00 p.m, since currently, this additional remuneration is provided from 9:00 p.m.
Rappi CEO Simón Borrero pointed out that the new reform forces employees to comply with a limit on working hours and prevents the flexibility of their current schedules. According to him, between 80 and 85% of Rappi delivery people work sporadically and still earn 11,000 pesos per hour, while the minimum wage is 4.800 pesos.
Borrero also stated that if Congress approves the reform, delivery costs will rise sharply, and the number of customers will decrease. Rappi will become more expensive: the platform will have to charge 18,000 pesos for a single delivery, making the service a luxury for a few people.
In Colombia, there are at least 50,000 rappitenderos who work through the application.
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