Foodpanda delivery riders protest in front of DOLE office

Over 50 Foodpanda delivery riders gathered in front of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) office in Intramuros, Manila, to protest against unfair labor practices.

Isa Avendaño-Umali said in a Dobol B sa News TV report that the riders lined up to voice their complaints on the unfair treatment of delivery riders.

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According to the delivery riders, they earn less per delivery due to the company’s unfair grading system.

Authorities in Intramuros confronted the riders as they allegedly disrupted patients of a clinic and caused a traffic jam in the area.

Manila Police District Station 5 commander Ariel intervened, and the situation was eventually put to order.

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The company then issued a statement addressing the claims of its delivery riders.

“Foodpanda communicated the new payment structure to our freelance food delivery riders prior to its implementation in June 2020. With the new scheme, riders are not compensated based on delivery distance, making the payment structure more organized and fair. This new structure has been rolled out in stages across the Philippines over the past five months,” the company said.

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Foodpanda delivery riders protest in front of DOLE office

“Foodpanda riders are valued partners in the foodpanda delivery ecosystem. As a food delivery platform, we provide flexible opportunities for riders to earn a living. Due to the pandemic, foodpanda has seen an increase in the number of new rider applicants, and we are working to accommodate applicants. In addition, foodpanda is also working with local government units to create new earning opportunities through initiatives like hiring displaced tricycle drivers in the pandaTODA program,” it added.

The company assured the public that it is looking at the concerns of its delivery riders.

Foodpanda is a mobile food delivery marketplace owned by Berlin-based company Delivery Hero SE and operates in about 50 countries. It is mostly active in the Asia Pacific, Bulgaria, and Romania. It is headquartered in Berlin, Germany.

According to Wheel2Wheel, a food delivery rider could earn as much as P30,000 a month plus other incentives. The salary is twice the minimum wage in the National Capital Region (NCR).