Some 700 riders of the food delivery app Foodpanda
held a “unity ride” today to seek redress of their grievances. However the
peaceful protest at the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) was marred by
an altercation with police from the Intramuros station. Jack Vergara of the Food
Panda Riders Association was arrested while the cellphone of Romeo Maglunsod of
the Kapatiran sa Dalawang Gulong (KAGULONG) was confiscated by the police.
“We condemn the harassment by the Manila
police of a peaceful concerted action by workers that is a constitutionally guaranteed
right. We ask Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello to ensure that workers’ right to
redress of grievances is observed at the DOLE area. That is traditionally a site
of protest but police are now using the pandemic as an excuse to suppress the
right to peaceful assembly,” stated Rene Magtubo, national chair of Partido
Manggagawa which is supporting the Foodpanda riders.
The Foodpanda riders assembled at the Film
Center/Cultural Center of the Philippines area before proceeding to the DOLE to
seek an audience and deliver a letter addressed to Labor Secretary Silvestre
Bello.
The groups are asking the DOLE to conduct an
inspection for the purpose of resolving the grievances of the Foodpanda riders.
Riders are discontented over recent changes in Foodpanda policies that have
negatively affected their pay and working conditions.
“Pay is tied to bookings which are affected by
so-called ‘grades.’ But the grading system is opaque. Grades have fallen due to
changes in the system which penalize riders. Pay has also been reduced per
delivery due to a new system,” explained Don Pangan of KAGULONG.
Further, a policy called “undispatch” forces
riders to rush in order to pick up an order, thereby putting their safety at
peril. The groups are demanding the removal of “undispatch,” and transparency
and fairness in policies, including the computation of the pay for deliveries.
Pangan added that “Food Panda riders are
called delivery partners but in reality are employees of the company owning the
app. Food Panda riders are subject to control and supervision of the company as
shown by the impact of policy changes on pay and condition. Foodpanda riders
are not independent contractors but ordinary employees of th company owning the
app.”
The groups are calling on the DOLE to act on
their request for dialogue and inspection. “This is only the start of our
advocacy for the rights and welfare of Foodpanda rider and other gig workers.
Ang laban ng Foodpanda riders ay laban ng lahat ng gig workers,” insisted
Pangan.
Food Panda Riders Association
Kapatiran sa Dalawang Gulong (KAGULONG)
November 18, 2020
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