Finance
Judge orders Glovo's Italian food delivery arm to 'regularise' 40,000 workers
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 19, 2026
2 min readLast updated: February 19, 2026
Quick Summary
An Italian judge confirmed court administration of Glovo’s Milan unit and ordered 40,000 delivery workers be regularised amid a labour exploitation probe. A court-appointed administrator will oversee compliance; Glovo was not immediately reachable.
MILAN, Feb 19 (Reuters) - An Italian judge on Thursday ordered the local arm of Spanish food delivery service Glovo, which is currently under court administration, to "regularise" 40,000 delivery workers, according to the court order seen by Reuters.
Milan prosecutors earlier this month placed Glovo's Italian unit, Foodinho, under judicial supervision and its chief executive under investigation for alleged exploitation of workers.
Glovo is controlled by Germany's Delivery Hero.
A Milan judge on Thursday confirmed that decision, initially implemented as an urgent measure by prosecutors, and instructed the court-appointed official temporarily overseeing the firm to ensure its 40,000 delivery workers in Italy were legally employed, the order said.
Glovo did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. Delivery Hero was not available to comment outside regular business hours.
The court document said Glovo must comply with Italian labour law and gave the temporary administrator authorisation if needed, to take decisions "that diverge from those proposed by" the normal management.
Thousands of so-called "riders" for Foodinho ply their trade in Milan and across Italy, using easily identifiable Glovo-branded yellow delivery bags.
Giulia Druetta, a Turin-based lawyer who has represented the delivery workers in long-running legal battles in Italy, welcomed the latest decision.
"It's important that the Milan prosecutors and the court have delivered a clear message: workers' rights are not an optional ... you can't put people on the road without safeguards," she told Reuters.
The 54-page decree issued earlier this month that placed Foodinho under judicial supervision said delivery workers, or riders, were paid below the poverty line, averaging 2.50 euros ($3) per delivery.
In some cases pay was more than 75% below the poverty threshold, according to the document, which included testimony from 39 migrant workers.
The minimum subsistence level for workers in Italy is considered to be 1,245 euros a month.
(Reporting by Anna Uras, additional reporting by Emilio Parodi, writing by Valentina Za, Elvira Pollina and Francesca Piscioneri, editing by Gavin Jones)
Key Takeaways
- •A Milan judge ordered Glovo’s Italian unit to regularise 40,000 delivery workers.
- •The decision confirms court administration with a court-appointed overseer.
- •Milan prosecutors are investigating alleged labour exploitation at Foodinho.
- •Glovo’s parent company is Germany-based Delivery Hero.
- •Glovo could not be reached immediately for comment on the ruling.
Frequently Asked Questions about Judge orders Glovo's Italian food delivery arm to 'regularise' 40,000 workers
1What is the main topic?
A Milan judge ordered Glovo’s Italian unit to regularise 40,000 delivery workers and confirmed court administration amid an investigation into alleged labour exploitation.
2Who controls Glovo and which unit is affected?
Glovo is controlled by Germany’s Delivery Hero. The affected business is Foodinho, Glovo’s Italian food delivery arm, which has been placed under judicial supervision.
3What does “regularise” workers mean in this case?
It refers to bringing riders’ employment status and conditions into compliance with Italian labour laws and collective agreements under the oversight of a court-appointed administrator.
