A study by Fairwork India, which scored 11 top aggregators on a scale of 10 on fair wages, fair contracts, fair working conditions, fair representation, found most of them “not committed” to ensuring a living wage to their workers (who some of them refer to as partners), and none scoring beyond 6.

The platforms studied were Amazon Flex, Bigbasket, BluSmart, Flipkart, Ola, Porter, Swiggy, Uber, Urban Company, Zepto and Zomato.

The report found that only Bigbasket and Urban Company have a minimum wage policy that guarantees hourly local minimum wage after factoring in work-related costs.

What’s more, none of these platforms were willing to recognise the workers’ right to collectively bargain or unionise, which is a “vital dimension of fairness at work”.

The report said it found it “disconcerting that despite the rise in platform worker collectivisation across the country over the past six years, there was insufficient evidence from any platform to show a willingness to recognise a collective body of workers.”

The report, Fairwork India Ratings 2024: Labour Standards in the Platform Economy, was written by researchers from the Centre for IT and Public Policy, International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIIT-B), and the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford.

The report evaluated the conditions of work across 11 platforms in India at location-based services in sectors, such as domestic and personal care, logistics, food delivery, and transportation.

“Each company was awarded a score out of 10 according to the Fairwork Principles: fair pay, fair conditions, fair contracts, fair management and fair representation. Each score was determined based on a combination of desk research, worker interviews conducted in Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, and-when possible-evidence provided by the platforms,” said the report.

“This year witnessed gig workers’ welfare increasingly gain attention in political manifestos and legislative initiatives. But with the implementation of these efforts remaining uncertain, and platforms redefining gig work, research and advocacy to improve the conditions of gig workers are ever more relevant,” said Professors Balaji Parthasarathy and Janaki Srinivasan, the principal investigators of the team, in a statement.

Among the key findings on ‘fair pay’, the report found that only Bigbasket and Urban Company provided evidence of a “minimum wage” policy.

“No platform was able to evidence that all of their workers earn the local living wage after costs, so none were awarded the second point for Fair Pay,” said the report.

On ‘fair working conditions’, the study found that Amazon Flex, Bigbasket, BluSmart, Swiggy, Urban Company, Zepto and Zomato were able to prove that they provide adequate safety equipment and periodic safety training to workers on their platforms.

Amid a job that is prone to road mishaps, “only Bigbasket, Swiggy, Urban Company, Zepto and Zomato evidenced that their companies provide workers with accident insurance coverage at no additional cost, monetary compensation for income loss in cases they are unable to work for medical reasons other than accidents, and ensuring a worker’s standing is not negatively affected when they return after a break taken with prior notice to the platform.”

As for “fair” work contracts, six out the 11 —  Bigbasket,
BluSmart, Swiggy, Urban Company, Zepto, and Zomato — provided evidence that they ensure “the accessibility and comprehensibility of their contracts, and have protocols for the protection and management of worker data.”

“Bigbasket, BluSmart, Swiggy, Zepto, and Zomato, also evidenced the adoption of a change notification clause in their contracts, reducing asymmetries in liability (such as by a provision to compensate workers for losses due to app malfunctions and outages), the adoption of a Code of Conduct for their subcontractors, and making the variables influencing pricing transparent where dynamic pricing is used,” the report said.

As regards ‘fair management”, Amazon Flex, Bigbasket, BluSmart, Flipkart, Swiggy, Urban Company and Zomato were awarded the “first point” for evidencing due process in decisions affecting workers and channels for workers to appeal disciplinary actions.

“There was sufficient evidence from BluSmart, Swiggy, Urban Company and Zomato of regular external audits to check for biases in their work allocation systems, in addition to policies against discrimination,” the report said.

When it comes to the right to collectively bargain or unionise, a “vital dimension of fairness at work”, the report found it “disconcerting that despite the rise in platform worker
collectivisation across the country over the past six years, there was insufficient evidence from any platform to show a willingness to recognise a collective body of workers.”

Fairwork is an international research project that studies the working conditions of platform workers in more than 30 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, North America and South America. The work is coordinated by Oxford Internet Institute and the Social Science Research Centre Berlin.

Courtesy: Newsclick

The post Only 2 Out of 11 Ecommerce Platforms Have Minimum Wage Policy for Gig Workers, Finds Report appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Kochi: The workers of Swiggy, the online food delivery platform, have been on an indefinite strike in Kochi since November 14. Around 5,000 delivery partners are on a logout strike demanding revision of the minimum remuneration for delivery. 

The workers are demanding a remuneration of Rs 35 for delivery in a 2.5 km radius against  Rs 20 for 4 km being paid now. 

The workers resorted to an indefinite strike after the tripartite talks held on November 14, by the Ernakulam district labour commissioner, failed and the demands were not accepted by the representatives of Swiggy. 

The delivery partners, as defined by the organisation, resorted to a token strike on October 31 to highlight their long pending demands. The workers, led by the Food Online Delivery Workers Union (FODWU) affiliated with the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) have announced to continue their strike until their demands are met.
 

‘INCREASE MINIMUM REMUNERATION’

The workers began their strike on November 14 after their demands were rejected by the management of Swiggy in the conciliation talks held by the labour officer in Kochi. The workers have been demanding to increase the remuneration which was last revised in 2018. 

Speaking to NewsClick, K N Gopi, Ernakulam district secretary of AITUC, said, “After enduring enormous physical strain in more than 14 hours of work per day, the workers are unable to survive with the measly income. They take home under Rs 500 per day, which is insufficient to run a family in any city.” 

Swiggy delivery workers participating in the protest held in Kochi.

“The present remuneration is very low, considering the fuel prices and the cost of living in a city like Kochi,” Sunil Kumar, president of the FODWU told NewsClick. “Around 80% of the remuneration they get for one delivery is spent towards fuel charges. What is left for the workers to feed themselves and their families?” he said.
 

‘INCENTIVES AND TIPS UNPAID’

The workers have also flagged issues with incentives and the transfer of tips paid to them online. 

“The company is promising an incentive of Rs 300 if the executives ride for Rs 750 in a day. As soon as they reach close to achieving this amount, the workers suspect of reducing orders,” Sunil Kumar said.

The workers have alleged that the orders are frequently stopped once they drive for around Rs 650 and they receive the next orders after a couple of hours. 

“Only a few workers prepared to be idle for such long hours are receiving the incentive. Most of them, despite riding for more than 10 hours, are not receiving the incentive due to the intentional reduction in orders,” Kumar alleged. 

The workers have also pointed out non-transfer of tips paid online by customers to their accounts. 

“A considerable section of the workforce are students working part-time to make ends meet. Considering this, the customers provide tips, most of which are not transferred to the workers immediately,” a worker told NewsClick.

The union office bearers claimed that for documentation purposes, the company pays incentives and tips only to a small section of the workers. “Similar is the case of rain charges. The customer pays the charge for food delivery during rains, but the workers receiving the same is a rarity,” Kumar said,
 

ENSURE A REDRESSAL MECHANISM

The demand for a redressal mechanism for the workers to address their concerns on payment-related issues also remains unaddressed. The union has alleged that only an over-the-telephone service is available for workers, instead of an offline portal to raise their concerns. 

“The gig industry is now employing a large workforce of youth, including women. This industry has very little investment since the workers bear the expense for vehicles, fuel, maintenance charges, phone and internet. The companies should ensure nominal wages instead of exploiting the educated and poor workforce,” Kumar added.

The workers have decided to hold a massive march in Kochi to reiterate their demands, taking cue from the Zomato workers in Thiruvananthapuram, who won back benefits after four days of strike. 

Courtesy: Newsclick

The post Kerala: Swiggy Workers’ Strike Enters Third Day in Kochi appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Zomato workers in Thiruvananthapuram won a decisive battle against the management’s unilateral decision of cutting down incentives. The management yielded to their demands after the indefinite strike entered its fourth day on August 19. 

After the conciliation talks, Zomato and its delivery partners have reached an agreement wherein weekly incentives would be calculated under three new slabs and the rain surge percentage has been reinstated. 

After refusing to participate in the conciliation talks, called by the additional labour commissioner, Zomato was left with no option but to talk to the workers following their spirited struggle. 

‘GIGS SCHEME AFFECTED WORKERS’

The workers were shocked after Zomato changed policies unilaterally and shifted to the ‘GIGS’ scheme in March. This affected the flexibility of working time and days while income was hit by the withdrawal of the several incentives.

“The workers and even the company were unable to estimate the income and incentive that they earn every week. The mandatory login every hour and the penalty for not doing so ate into our income,” Jyothish, secretary of the Trivandrum District Online Delivery Workers Union, told Newsclick.

“After working for 12-14 hours daily, we were earning around Rs 700-Rs 800 a day from which we had to meet fuel and other expenses. Considering the amount of work and the travel time, this is a very small income,” Jyothish added. 

The workers sent a strike notice on July 27 demanding the restoration of incentives and other benefits. When the company did not respond, they submitted their demands to the chief minister and the ministers for labour and industries. 

Subsequently, the workers declared an indefinite strike on August 16 under the leadership of Thiruvananthapuram District Online Delivery Workers Union, affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), and were joined in their protest march by their Swiggy counterparts. 

Shiju Khan, district secretary, DYFI addresses Zomato and Swiggy delivery workers during the Raj Bhavan march. (Courtesy: Jyothish). 

INCENTIVE SLABS FORMED, RAIN SURGE BONUS REINSTATED

After the intervention of the state government and labour officials, talks were held on August 19. Two officials from Zomato and four leaders, including four from the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), on behalf of the delivery partners participated in the talks. 

“More than 250 workers from both Swiggy and Zomato took part in the march, which was inaugurated by DYFI leaders. The talks were possible due to the effective intervention of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government. Zomato officials had to concede to our demands,” Jyothish said.

Under the agreement, a worker will receive a weekly incentive of 15% if his delivery amount is up to Rs 4,000. Workers with a delivery amount up to Rs 5,000 and Rs 7,500 will receive 25% and 35% incentive, respectively. The rain surge bonus has also been reinstated at Rs 25 for peak time and Rs 20 for non-peak time. 

Another important demand of the workers was regarding the disciplinary action taken by the company against them. The company had reserved the right to terminate them without notice. “A show-cause notice will be issued to the partners before taking disciplinary action like termination or disabling in the app,” the agreement reads. 

The company has also agreed to intimate the implementing variation in kilometre charges for delivery and pick-up while the waiting time pay at restaurants has been reduced to 10 minutes from 15 minutes. The profiles of the workers who participated in the strike will also be activated immediately. 

Zomato officials were unavailable for a response.

Courtesy: Newsclick

The post Zomato Workers win Back Benefits After 4-Day Strike in Thiruvananthapuram appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Image Courtesy: english.newstracklive.com

In a shocking incident a Zomato Delivery agent was stabbed and left to bleed to death in Delhi’s Tilak Nagar area on June 15, 2022. Passersby allegedly ignored the dying man’s pleas for help. It was only when his Muslim colleague Asif found out about it, that help finally arrived… though it was too late by then.

The deceased, identified as 29-year-old Sagar Singh, had picked up a late-night delivery from a restaurant near his home and had stopped to smoke a cigarette before going to deliver the food package. At this point, two men, said to be Nihangs, asked him to stop smoking. When Singh protested, they allegedly stabbed him.

But what is more shocking is the allegation that Singh lay at the spot for 15-20 minutes before anyone called for help. Passersby allegedly ignored his pleas for help. It was his colleague Asif who called for help when he arrived on the spot. He first called Singh’s wife and then just as he was trying to reach the police helpline, the customer who had ordered the delivery called and Asif asked him to call the police. By the time the ambulance arrived and Singh was taken to hospital, it was too late. He was declared ‘brought dead’.

“Till the time I reached, nobody touched his body. It was already 15 minutes at least. If he would have been taken to the hospital in time, he might have been saved,” Asif said.

Singh’s brother-in-law Inder Pal who also works as a delivery agent told Hindustan Times, “Two Nihang Sikhs, who were present near the restaurant, abused Sagar for smoking. But when Sagar told them that he was smoking in an open space, and refused to stop, the two Nihangs got angry.” Pall alleged, “They took out their kirpans (daggers) and stabbed him in the left side of the chest.”

Deputy commissioner of police (west) Ghanshyam Bansal told the publication that the police arrested Harshdeep Singh, 22, a resident of nearby Chander Vihar, and the knife used in the murder was recovered from him. “During interrogation, Harshdeep told the police that he and his friend were near a restaurant on street number 13, Krishna Puri, when they saw Sagar blocking their way. He said they asked Sagar to move aside but he rebuked them instead,” said the DCP. Police are also investigating allegations of Singh being hit with bricks.

Meanwhile, Zomato has extended support to the deceased man’s family.

Related:

Hate Watch: Haribhushan Bachaul dubs Agnipath protesters “Jihadi”

Most troubling abuse of YouTube involves targeting of Muslims in India by BJP backers: NYU Stern Report

The post Zomato delivery man lay bleeding until Muslim colleague came to his aid appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Jewellery brand Tanishq’s one-step-forward-two-steps-back attitude towards the reception of its recent advertisement has led to a much needed discussion on the role of brands and advertisers amidst an increasingly communal political climate.

Of late, many brands have voiced an intention to be more careful while selecting news channels for placing advertisements so that they don’t inadvertently end up endorsing toxic content in their shows. Most recently, Bajaj industries and Parle Products have taken a firm stand to boycott news channels that promote toxic or aggressive content. Industrialist Rahul Bajaj went so far as to boycott three news channels.

In the middle of all of this comes news of Tanishq feeling pressured to drop its advertisement showing a Muslim family erforming the god-bharai ceremony of their Hindu daughter-in-law. The brand initially faced backlash from the right-wing Hindutva extremists who claimed the advertisement supported ‘love jihad.’ Then Tanishq faced the second wave of criticism from liberals and others who were disappointed to see the jewellery brand take down the advertisement.

This sparked a huge debate on social media on whether Tanishq should have given in to the right-wing trolling.

zomato was selling chole bhature/dal makhni not Gold and Diamonds. Check out Tanishq stores now in Delhi etc, all are putting banners outside stores that the do no agree with ad. Its festival season of Navratri and Diwali and it cannot afford hurting Hindu sentiments @Nidhi

— Dev (@Dev71225527) October 13, 2020

Chetan Bhagat too offered his two cents:

Dear #Tanishq,

some of us live with,deal with and thrive with trolling everyday. If you know you are in the right, as a company people trust, be more solid. Don’t let bullies trample Indian unity, creativity and expression.Make a statement. Keep the ad. Stay strong. Stay Indian.

— Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) October 13, 2020

The Zomato example mentioned on Twitter refers to an incident that tool place in 2019, when the food delivery app rreceived a bigoted complaint from a client. Zomato refused to bow down to the communal demands of the client who did not want to accept delivery from a Muslim delivery boy and the brand received much praise for its strong stand. While the person talked about ‘being bullied’ into accepting the delivery, Zomato tweeted the following reply on Twitter.

Food doesn’t have a religion. It is a religion. https://t.co/H8P5FlAw6y

— zomato india (@ZomatoIN) July 31, 2019

The fact that Zomato’s Founder Deepinder Goyal endorsed this view only increased people’s appreciation for the ethical stand.

We are proud of the idea of India – and the diversity of our esteemed customers and partners. We aren’t sorry to lose any business that comes in the way of our values. ?? https://t.co/cgSIW2ow9B

— Deepinder Goyal (@deepigoyal) July 31, 2019

A proof of this appreciation lies in the fact that people have compared the two companies’ behaviour when faced with bigotry.

@Zomato was trolled too, but it stood its ground on food having no religion. It did not affect its business. Companies need to put some research into how much of the trolling actually reflects public opinion and has any potential to impact business. https://t.co/8ymFrdNXUA

— Deeptiman Tiwary (@DeeptimanTY) October 13, 2020

Indeed, an interesting parallel can be drawn between the criticisms received by the two brands following their reaction to the bigoted action against them. Tanishq was heavily criticized and called spineless.

Rajiv Bajaj on one side and the surrender of Tanishq on the other. Difference between spine and supine.

— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) October 13, 2020

Wow @TanishqJewelry that’s all it took? What would you do if you were a woman on twitter who faced this every day? Another reason to have more women CEOs

— sunetra choudhury (@sunetrac) October 13, 2020

On the other hand, Zomato was lauded with appreciation and memes.

pic.twitter.com/yE8tEDxLFR

— KΛJӨᄂ (@Leonotcaprio) July 31, 2019

pic.twitter.com/UWAUhoBu54

— Scotchaholic (@shreygandhi) July 31, 2019

This stark contrast in the two incidents, merely a year apart, suggests that the tide might be turning. The political environment in the country has not changed much over the course of a year. However, there has been a growing unrest among the masses since December 2019 along with a rise in censorship. More and more activists are being booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, compelling people to voice their opinion more carefully than ever.

Considering this backdrop in which Tanishq felt compelled to pull back its advertisement, a disturbing thought arises that is voiced by one of the netizens on Twitter.

Secular India couldn’t bear an advertisement by #Tanishq promoting inter-religion relations?
The brand was criticized for the advertisement and it has been taken down just because it portrayed two “humans” happy.
Well “secular” and “India” don’t go together anymore.

— Trio.says (@Trio02817961) October 13, 2020

Related:

More brands withdraw advertising from news channels airing hateful content

Tanishq takes down advertisement after being bullied by trolls for depicting ‘Love Jihad’

Will advertisers consider punishing TV channels for unethical TRP strategies?

Media, right-wing spew venom over Sushant Singh Rajput’s death

The post Why did Tanishq take down its ad; why not fight back like Zomato? appeared first on SabrangIndia.