Ninaitwa Agostino na nina umri wa miaka 51. Kazi yangu ni kusambaza chakula kwa baiskeli. Nina mabinti wawili, lakini ninaongea nao mara chache sana. Mimi na mama yao hatuishi pamoja tena kwa sababu tumeachana.
My name is Agostino and I am 51 years old. My job is delivering food by bicycle. I have two daughters, but we hardly ever speak. Their mother and I no longer live together because we are divorced.
Ninaishi na mama yangu kwa sababu siwezi kumudu kulipa kodi ya nyumba baada ya kuachana. Kodi ya nyumba ni gharama kubwa sana katika jiji hili.
I live with my mother, as I cannot afford to pay rent after the divorce. Rent is very expensive in this city.
Miezi michache iliyopita, nilikuwa nikifanya kazi kama bawabu katika kampuni. Nilitengeneza vitu vilivyoharibika, nilibeba maboksi, na nilimsaidia yeyote aliyehitaji msaada. Siku moja, kampuni ilinifukuza kazi. Sikujua ni kwa nini.
A few months ago I was working as a janitor for a company. I repaired things that were broken, carried boxes, and helped when anyone needed it. One day the company fired me. I did not understand why.
Niliwaona watu wengi wakileta chakula kwa baiskeli. Ninaweza kuendesha baiskeli, kwa hiyo niligonga mlango wa kampuni kubwa ya usambazaji. Walinipa yuro tatu kwa kila safari. Ninaingiza yuro 40 kwa siku, yuro 60 nikibahatika sana, na wateja wananiongezea.
I saw many people delivering food by bicycle. I can ride a bicycle, so I knocked on the door of a big delivery company. They offered me three euros for each delivery. I make 40€ per day, 60€ if I am very lucky and the customers tip me.
Sipati likizo ya malipo, hakuna malipo ya kuugua, na haki mbalimbali kwa ujumla. Sidhani kama hii ni sawa, lakini ninahitaji kazi. Waajiriwa wengi ni wahamiaji kutoka sehemu mbalimbali duniani.
I get no paid holiday, no sick pay, hardly any rights at all. I do not think that is right, but I need the job. Most of the other employees are immigrants from all over the world.
Watu wengi wanaofanya kazi ya usambazaji wanaumia katika ajali kila siku. Baadaye, wakati kijana wa miaka 25 anayefanya kazi hii alipogongwa na gari na akafa, mamlaka zikaanza kututambua. Ni aibu kwa sababu hili lilitokea baada ya yeye kufariki.
Many delivery people are injured in accidents every day. Then, when a 25-year-old deliveryman was hit by a car and died, the authorities started noticing us. It is a shame he had to die before that happened.
Kwa kushirikiana na madereva wengine wa usambazaji kutoka katika makampuni mengine, nilisoma kozi inayohusu haki za wafanyakazi katika chama fulani nchini. Walitupa ushauri wa kisheria bure kabisa. Tukapambana ili tutambulike na tupate haki zaidi.
Together with delivery people from other companies, I took a course on workers’ rights with a local union. They offered us legal advice free of charge. We struggled to get more recognition and rights.
Baada ya muda mrefu, jitihada zetu zikazaa matunda. Kampuni moja kubwa ya usambazaji ililazimika kulipa faini kubwa na kuwapa wafanyakazi wake ajira za kudumu. Ilikuwa ni mara ya kwanza jambo kama hili kutokea duniani. Inaonekana kama mambo yameshaanza kuboreshwa.
After a long time all our hard work paid off. One big delivery company had to pay a huge fine and to give workers permanent jobs. It was the first time that had happened anywhere in the whole world. It looks like things are starting to improve.
