Brazilian delivery worker bears daily fear of coronavirus infectionpor ONU Brasil |
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When the clock strikes 10 o'clock in the morning, Matheus Martinez, 27, is already riding his bicycle, carrying a big square backpack and cycling through the streets of Porto Alegre, in the south of Brazil.
Since 2018, the musician started to make food deliveries through apps and, today, the activity is his main source of income.
Matheus is one of the "gig economy" workers who are unable to work from home, and find themselves facing every day the fear of contracting the new coronavirus.
"I am afraid of dying (even) if I'm not part of the groups who are most at risk, but I need to go out and work", he says. Daily, he rides his bike an average of 40 to 60 kilometers between the neighbourhoods of Azenha and Partenon.
"Before (the pandemic), I used to work more at nights but, today, the days are kind of similar, I think probably because people are at home", he says.
With the coronavirus outbreak in Brazil, Martinez soon turned his attention to hygiene procedures during deliveries.
The package's handles, for example, were his first concern. Always carrying alcohol gel and sterilizing his hands when arriving at restaurants, Martinez explained that the change of behavior was the main protection.
He enphasizes that most of the restaurants have adapted to the new situation, putting in place new hygiene procedures. Some of them offer latex gloves, hand sanitizers and have specific areas for washing the backpacks.
Martinez says he has not received, however, hygiene items provided by the food delivery companies. He tried to buy face masks, but didn't find the product in the pharmacies. The solution came on April 11th, when, in a gesture of solidarity, his roommate's mother manufactured a mask and gave it to him.
"I need to bear the costs of everything to protect myself," he says. "The only thing I received (from the companies) was information: 'do this when you deliver something'".
One of the recommendations tells the worker not to enter the buildings or houses, but wait for customers at the entrance.
"If I enter the building and I'm coming from the street, I may end up touching a lot of surfaces that other people will touch", he points out.
"So customers are now going to the door, and I think that is really cool. People are aware of the pandemic", he adds.
In addition, Martinez says he's receiving more tips. "This is a very good help, because with tips, you can earn an extra trip".
When he meets with other delivery workers, Martinez says that the conversation about the pandemic hardly happens. The talks revolve around financial issues, after all, that's why they can't stay at home, he says.
The COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating the inequalities that already exist in all countries, from the risk of being infected by the virus, to the chance to stay alive or deal with the dramatic economic consequences.
In this scenario, the countrie's political responses must ensure that support reaches the workers and companies that need it most, said the International Labor Organization (ILO).
Worldwide, 61.2% of employed workers are in informal jobs and are therefore more likely to face bigger exposure to health and safety risks, according to the organization.
ILO recommends that income support for the workers should be carried out through a non-contributory social security plan or existing income transfer programs.
There is going to be sharp deterioration in the employment and income situation in Latin American countries in view of the effects of the pandemic, pointed out the ILO regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Vinícius Pinheiro.
"We face an emergency that is infecting the world of work and it's now a priority to act effectively to reduce the consequences on the region's labor markets", says Pinheiro.
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