This supposed day long strike is supposed to start at midnight tonight
Malaysiakini has just reported that Malaysia could see a nationwide halt to food deliveries today as the delivery riders for a few food delivery companies are planning a 24 hour strike across the nation starting from midnight.
A rider from one of these food delivery services stated that the riders are calling this strike the ‘Food Delivery Blackout’ and stems from what the riders see as unfair payment rates from the delivery services.
The rider who supplied the information wished to be referred to only as “Ikmal.” Ikmal told Malaysiakini that this strike first needed the food delivery riders who wished to participate to agree to turn off their food delivery applications for the day.
Ikmal said, “The strike will mainly see all food delivery riders involved turn off their applications for the whole day. There are a few of us who refer to the strike as a ‘one day off ’ strike.”
However, Ikmal stated that it was unclear exactly how many food delivery riders would join this strike but he did say that the riders involved believed there would be “many” riders joining them on strike.
It is believed that the main group of food delivery riders on strike will lead a convoy to one of the main offices of one of these food delivery services in Petaling Jaya.
According to Malaysiakini, the notice for the strike urged all food delivery riders to meet at 10 assembly points in the Klang Valley area at 4 in the evening before they all ride together to Petaling Jaya to hand over their memorandum to the company.
According to Ikmal, the food delivery riders are dissatisfied with the food delivery services who have allegedly reduced their payment rates from time to time.
Ikmal explained, “This started last year, when the food delivery services started reducing the payment for the food delivery riders.”
“As an example, before this, if a rider from one of the services were to take on a double order, meaning he delivers food from one seller to two recipients, then he would be paid in full for both orders, so if the distance for each trip would pay RM5, then the rider would get paid RM10” He elaborated.
“But now, the company has reduced that payment to RM7 or RM8 only, and what disappoints the food delivery riders even more is that the value keeps getting reduced more from time to time.” He added.
Ikmal also alleges that these services have abolished rewards systems that paid food delivery riders more at peak hours and replaced it with a system that pays less overall. He also alleges that the riders have complained before but were ignored.
Malaysiakini reached out to Food Panda and GrabFood for their statements.
Do you think this is justified? Should food delivery riders and basically everyone underpaid go on strike or is there an alternative?
