Tuesday, October 08, 2019

Foodpanda - hourly wages of RM4, when minimum wage is RM5.26 per hour? BOYCOTT - a way for public to support human rights and justice?

Boycotting is a way that consumers can help make sure that companies and employers act justly and adhere to human rights...
 
It is also what countries, even the United Nations do - they pass sanctions against goods from some countries because of some alleged violations of rights...or maybe simply because they are not happy with them?
 
YOU may be supporting human rights violations...worker rights violations...trade union rights violations...environment rights violations if you simply continue to 'BUY" products and services from companies that violate rights ...
 
CONSUMER power to ensure rights are respected, promoted...is a very powerful tool...consumer power could also be by open or close support for the victims..
 
What exactly is the issue concerning 'Foodpanda' ...and from the media reports, we get the following..
The new system removes the riders’ RM4 hourly wage and replaces it with fees per delivery of between RM4.50 to RM7, which is RM3 to RM5 more per delivery than before. 

Riders also get a RM100 incentive if they work 60 hours per week and an extra RM1 per order for all orders between 11pm and 9am daily.
So, the old system guarantees a RM4 hourly wage(and they also got something for each and every deliveries)....but the new system depends only on the number of deliveries..

Well, in some times or in some places, there may not be that many deliveries ...so, for these workers there may be problems? 

Are these Foodpanda riders 'EMPLOYEES' - they should be? [Oh yes, if they are not employees, they then have NO RIGHT to form a Trade Union - is that the reason why we are not reading about the FoodPanda Riders Union?

MINIMUM WAGE - sadly that was supposed to be RM1,500 per month after GE14, but it was only raised to RM1,100-00

Well, I believe that the FoodPanda riders should be earning at least the MIINIMUM WAGE - and this should be guaranteed, the additional commissions for deliveries will be added benefits? 

When they were earning RM4 per hour - making it RM32 for 8 hours per day ( new order stipulated that wages of RM1,100 per month should be paid to an employee who is paid monthly and RM5.29 per hour for an employee who is paid hourly...) - HOW COME THE GOVERNMENT DID NOT ACT AGAINST FOODPANDA BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT PAYING THE MINIMUM HOURLY WAGE OF RM5.26 PER HOUR? - ONLY 'RM4 hourly wage'..

These workers, in fact all workers, especially employed or working for big companies should be paid the minimum basic wage - irrespective of whether they use schemes and arrangements for keep their workers from being classified as 'EMPLOYEES'.. 

Not being employees - they are also discriminated because they cannot form TRADE UNIONS - and hence lose their ability to collectively fight for better rights..

Should customers avoid premises of companies that do not have Trade Unions? 

Well, the first thing that PH government should do is ensure that all these riders or those who deliver goods are made EMPLOYEES - who should be paid at least Minimum Wages and enjoy all basic worker rights ... including sick leave, annual leave, ...right to form and join Trade Unions.

Cabinet has apparently not decided on this issue of 'boycott' - but where is the Human Resource Minister in this issue? Is he not bothered because these riders may be not EMPLOYEES ?


Users boycotting Foodpanda after company maintains new payment scheme that upset riders


  • Tech News
  • Tuesday, 08 Oct 2019
Foodpanda in a media statement on Sept 28 said the revised payment scheme enables riders to earn more income based on the orders they accept. — NORAFIFI EHSAN/The Star
 
Users on social media platform Twitter are making the hashtag #boycottfoodpanda go viral after the local food delivery company said it will stick to a new payment scheme for riders outside of Klang Valley. The company added that it will maintain the new payment scheme for a minimum four weeks before deciding on the next course of action, if necessary.
 
Foodpanda Malaysia managing director Sayantan Das claimed that initial data showed a good proportion of riders are actually earning more under the new scheme, which was first implemented on Sept 30.

"We are confident that the changes made are for the better, thus we will be sticking with the scheme for the moment," he said in a press conference yesterday (Oct 7).

"Contrary to what has been reported, the new scheme actually gives performing riders a chance to earn more, up to 50% more, and those not performing as well to be motivated to take more shifts to get a bigger piece of the pie," he added.

The new payment scheme introduced by Foodpanda led to some riders staging a series of protests across different states earlier this month.

Riders who were part of the protest demanded that the company revert back to the old payment scheme which they claimed helped them to earn more by paying them based on the number of hours worked instead of focusing on the number of deliveries performed during their work shifts.

Now users are voicing their solidarity with the affected Foodpanda riders and sharing images of themselves deleting the app from their mobile devices. The online boycott movement has also caught the attention of some notable personalities including artist Fahmi Reza who posted an image expressing his boycott towards Foodpanda. Other relevant hashtags include #DeleteFoodPanda and #UninstallFoodPanda.

The issues seems to be ignited by Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman’s Twitter post which called on others to only support corporations that are fair to both staff and users.

While some agree with him, others have responded that the minister did not read beyond the headline in the news story he retweeted. Star, 8/10/2019

 

Foodpanda strike shows new law on gig economy needed, says Syed Saddiq


SM Amin
Delivery riders protesting outside of Foodpanda's headquarters in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur yesterday. They say the company's new payment scheme will slash their incomes in half. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Afif Abd Halim, October 2, 2019.
NEW laws are needed to protect the welfare of workers in the gig economy, Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman said after meeting about 100 Foodpanda delivery riders last night.

The group of riders from the online food delivery service went to the minister’s house last night to highlight their grouses about Foodpanda’s new payment system, which removes an hourly wage and pays them by delivery.

“I find that after hearing the riders tonight, there are some contradictions with what the Foodpanda management has said.

“Foodpanda has claimed that their riders would earn more through the new scheme, but that is not what the riders are saying,” Syed Saddiq said.

He said he will suggest to the cabinet a new law to protect the welfare of workers in e-hailing companies.

“When a company earns profits in the millions, it should not forget its workers. We must ensure that there are standards on this and will work with the cabinet.

“The Human Resources Ministry will lead on this issue but we need to have comprehensive laws to care for workers in the gig economy,” Syed Saddiq said.

The Foodpanda riders went to his home after the minister posted on Twitter the night before that he was willing to meet them and take their grouses to the cabinet.

Those who showed up were mostly riders working in the Klang Valley, although the new Foodpanda scheme only applies to those working outside the Klang Valley. There were a few from Penang and Johor as well.

They were also joined by a few Grabfood delivery riders  who wanted to raise concerns about issues involving the e-hailing service, Grab.

On Monday, Foodpanda riders in a few states went on strike to protest the new payment scheme which began that day.

About 130 of them in the Klang Valley also held a brief strike and demonstrated outside the Foodpanda office in Kuala Lumpur to show solidarity with riders affected by the system.

The new system removes the riders’ RM4 hourly wage and replaces it with fees per delivery of between RM4.50 to RM7, which is RM3 to RM5 more per delivery than before. 

Riders also get a RM100 incentive if they work 60 hours per week and an extra RM1 per order for all orders between 11pm and 9am daily.

Foodpanda rider Mohamad Faiz Mohd Padzil, 20 said he wanted the company to revert to the previous payment scheme that paid riders a fee for each hour they worked.

“The fee for every hour worked has been withdrawn. Under this new scheme, our incomes will be half of what we used to earn under the previous system,” Faiz said.

Another rider, who gave his name as Wan Ahmad, said the company does not care for their welfare.

“We have insurance but when an accident happens, we don’t know who to claim from. No one (from the company) steps forward to help us,” he said of instances when fellow-riders had met with accidents.

Grabfood delivery rider Mohd Asror Mohd Azmal also raised the same issue, saying the problems Foodpanda riders were facing now were similar to those who delivered food under the Grab e-hailing app.

“What Foodpanda riders are facing, we have experienced before. We have made many objections but nothing changed. This time, I really hope the minister can help us by bringing this to the cabinet,” he said.

Syed Saddiq later told reporters that he would urge Foodpanda to revert to its previous payment system as a short-term measure.

He said he concurred that based on the new payment system, riders’ income would be slashed by nearly 50%.

“There was not much prior warning given and then we find that the new scheme can reduce their monthly incomes by nearly half. Of course they are angry.

“We need to find a solution and I will be bringing this to the cabinet and the prime minister,” the Muar MP said. – October 2, 2019. - Malaysian Insight

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