Following the strike at the end of last year, foodpanda, a food delivery platform, launched its second strike in the middle of last month. Today (3rd), another delivery worker issued a statement saying that 14 people in Central, Admiralty, Tsim Sha Tsui, Sham Shui Po, Yuen Long, Tin Shui Wai, Sha Tin, etc. Delivery workers in the district will go on strike for the whole day today and tomorrow (3rd and 4th).
There have been three strikes in a short period of time, and the issue of the treatment of delivery staff is obviously the core of the incident.
Before the latest strike, Pedro Dias, the chief operating officer of foodpanda, was interviewed by Hong Kong 01 and responded to the various demands of the couriers one by one.
He stressed that he had been in constant communication with the delivery staff for the past year, describing the "strike hurting everyone".
Delivery workers strike again today and tomorrow
Signed "A group of foodpanda delivery staff" issued a statement today (3rd), pointing out that foodpanda did not negotiate with delivery staff to solve the problem, but reduced the unit price of delivery staff, and the salary reduction in some areas increased, so they decided to strike again today and tomorrow.
According to reports, a delivery worker said that more than 1,000 people responded to the strike. The Central and Tsim Sha Tsui districts were closed in the afternoon, and customers could not order food. If foodpanda refuses to negotiate, the next wave of strike actions will escalate and stop more areas. operate.
The latest strike demands of delivery workers:
1. Stop salary reduction, and increase the distance fee and reserve price to a reasonable level.
2. The delivery person has the right to refuse the order or transfer the order, and should not be blocked or suspended for this reason.
3. Increase the amount of accident insurance compensation and expand the coverage.
4. Compensation should be paid for waiting for more than 5 minutes; orders should not be sent to the delivery staff until the food is finished.
5. Set a 5-minute time limit for customer pickup.
6. Pandamart order weight should be limited to 5-6kg.
7. Transparent and fair account termination procedures and appeal mechanism, the company is responsible for providing detailed evidence and reasons.
8. The standard of proof of delivery should be more reasonable.
9. Improve the efficiency and problem-solving ability of courier support services.
10. Extra bonus for working in bad weather.
11. The company should solve the parking problem and pay the deliveryman 2 illegal parking fines per month.
In the face of two strikes in a month, foodpanda's latest response stated that it has received reports from some delivery workers that some delivery workers participating in the strike disrupted orders and deliberately prevented them from placing orders and accepting replacements. The company will continue to monitor the delivery situation. Complaints and reports from other couriers will be investigated and acted upon accordingly.
Foodpanda also pointed out that it understands that there are still some problems in the system that need to be improved. Until the system problems are completely resolved, the service fee adjustment has been continuously issued to compensate the affected delivery staff.
In addition, the delivery workers who participated in the strike action have not attended the relevant interviews.
Judging from the demands of the delivery workers who participated in this strike, they were similar to the previous one. Pedro Dias, the chief operating officer of foodpanda, was interviewed by Hong Kong 01 earlier and responded to each demand one by one.
Pedro Dias, the chief operating officer of foodpanda, was interviewed by Hong Kong 01 earlier and responded to the main demands of the takeaways one by one.
(Photo by Ou Jiale)
Response 1: The Manhattan distance calculation method has been changed to Google Maps
As for the first appeal raised by the deliveryman, namely the calculation of distance and the issue of unit price, Pedro Dias said that the Manhattan distance calculation method was used in the past, but now it has been changed in response to the previous appeal of the deliveryman, and the algorithm is based on Google Maps. for a more accurate calculation of delivery distance.
The so-called Manhattan distance calculation method, Pedro Dias explained, is the right angle distance calculation method. For example, on a grid of horizontal and vertical lines, the distance from the starting point to point A is 10 meters, and the starting point to point B is also 10 meters. The distance is 20 meters.
If the delivery process requires a detour or is bumpy, the Manhattan distance calculation may not reflect the actual situation.
Pedro Dias said that in the past, the Manhattan distance calculation method was used, but now it is based on Google Maps.
(Provided by foodpanda)
However, why did some takeaways report that after the platform changed the distance calculation method, the unit price would be lower than before?
Pedro Dias pointed out that the actual distance may not necessarily be longer than the right angle distance, especially when the restaurant and the guests are located on the same straight line, so when using Google Maps to calculate, the price of some orders may be lower than before.
But overall, average service fee revenue across all regions and delivery vehicles is higher than in the past.
Response 2: Takeaways have the right to "reject the order"
As for the right of refusal and transfer of orders proposed by the deliveryman, Pedro Dias said that the deliveryman can choose the order he wants to deliver or refuse, and there will be no penalty for refusing the order.
However, he pointed out that if a delivery driver maintains an extremely low order rate (20%) for two consecutive weeks, his account will be temporarily blocked.
Another situation is that after a delivery person accepts the order, after a long period of time, he decides not to complete the delivery, and then transfers the order, which will affect the customer, restaurant, and other delivery staff, so it will not be re-delivered under normal circumstances. order, unless there is an emergency.
(Image credit: foodpanda)
Response 3: Insurance covers half an hour before the "value change"
In July this year, a motorcycle collided head-on with a bus in Sau Mau Ping. Unfortunately, the 59-year-old motorcycle rider died of serious injuries. The deceased was a foodpanda delivery man who had not been on duty at the time of the incident.
The family members quoted the food delivery platform as saying that only when the accident happened during the shift can they claim compensation.
The incident has drawn attention to whether the food delivery platform's protection for the delivery staff is sufficient.
Pedro Dias said that the platform has provided group accident personal insurance for takeaways, and the insurance covers the entire delivery period, including the time for waiting for orders and the time to suspend the delivery, and even covers the first 30 minutes of the delivery period. It is two hours before the value change, so no claim can be made.
He emphasized that the platform will deal with the accident at its discretion, and has an internal mechanism to provide an emergency funeral assistance fund, as well as additional death assistance and funeral arrangements for the family members of the takeaway who died unexpectedly.
Response 4: Do not encourage delivery workers to work in bad weather
As for the extra bonus for work in bad weather proposed by the deliveryman, Pedro Dias said that the deliveryman has the right to freely refuse the order in bad weather.
Similarly, he pointed out that the reason why the platform did not pay the illegal parking fines for the delivery staff was that it did not want to encourage illegal parking, but the company has been coordinating with different units in different housing estates and areas in Hong Kong to improve the parking problem, "as earlier, Regarding housing estates and property management units in the Kai Tak area, we have sent letters and calls to private housing estates in the area, and the takeaways have since allowed them to temporarily park their vehicles within the designated areas of the housing estates.”
Pedro Dias, chief operating officer of foodpanda, believes that strikes are not the answer.
(Photo by Ou Jiale)
'Strike hurts everyone'
Finally, regarding the repeated strikes at foodpanda, Pedro Dias said that due to the large number of employees in the company, there are different voices, "but the strike is bad, whenever other delivery people want to work, they may feel scared or be overwhelmed. Stress, that's not the way to go, (the strike) hurts everyone, including the drivers."
Pedro Dias said that he has been in constant communication with the delivery staff this year. Since July, he has reserved time every Friday for face-to-face communication with the delivery staff at the Rider Hub in Tsim Sha Tsui. The 15 demands made by the delivery staff last year have already passed Responded and dealt with one by one every year, and did not suspend or terminate the account of the striker.
Foodpanda drivers continued to strike about 20 people protested in Tsing Yi. Foodpanda deliverymen will strike again today and tomorrow, claiming that more than 1,000 people participated in Central, Tsim Sha Tsui has been suspended. On Saturday evening, a strike was launched to approve the new system, reduce wages, and encourage investment. Foodpanda launched 8,000 refill boxes and 40 restaurants are eligible for return and get a 10 yuan coupon.