Cyprus food-delivery strike spotlights visa-linked exploitation of third-country couriers

A spontaneous strike by more than 200 food-delivery riders employed by Wolt erupted in Limassol on Saturday, 21 March, laying bare the systemic vulnerabilities of Cyprus’ growing platform-economy workforce. Most of the riders are third-country nationals hired through WFDM, a Maltese subcontractor that recruits workers in Asia and Africa on so-called ‘student’ or ‘pink-slip’ visas that tie their legal status to a single employer. On Saturday morning WFDM chief executive Mantvydas Narusevicius ordered riders in a WhatsApp group to “go online or resign today”, later instructing the local fleet manager to “fire all who are part of the strike”. Riders responded by staging rolling protests on Archbishop Leontios Avenue and Anexartisias Street, carrying banners demanding “stable employment”, “fair pay” and an end to what they call “exploitation through visas”. Under Cyprus’ immigration rules, food-delivery couriers from outside the EU must work exclusively for the company that sponsors their permit. According to riders’ representatives, this leaves them unable to change jobs if piece-rate fees are cut—as Wolt is rumoured to be planning—without risking deportation.



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Labour unions have repeatedly urged the Interior Ministry to decouple residence permits from single employers and introduce a path to long-term status after four years, but draft amendments have been stuck in committee since late 2025. The walk-out is the largest platform-worker action Cyprus has seen and comes at an awkward time for the government, which currently holds the rotating EU Council presidency and is trying to showcase progress on fair mobility and talent attraction. The strike puts pressure on officials to modernise the island’s fragmented work-permit system, currently spread across three ministries, and to clarify whether subcontracting chains such as WFDM comply with EU Seasonal-Worker and Single-Permit directives. For multinational employers, the incident is a reminder that Cyprus’ otherwise business-friendly environment still contains immigration bottlenecks. Companies relying on gig-economy logistics should review contracting chains, ensure riders receive compliant permits and consider advocating for a more portable work-authorisation model that would reduce reputational risk while helping Cyprus meet its labour-shortage goals.