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Saturday, Feb 22, 2025
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Riders to continue strike until Foodpanda delivers
Several hundred Foodpanda delivery riders stayed on strike for a second day over pay and a mapping system they said was rigged by the company to reduce wages, though the firm denies allegations of unfair dealings.
The action, which saw a gathering in Kowloon Bay on Saturday night, had backing from some 1,000 delivery workers.
Over 40 riders parked their motorcycles outside Foodpanda's grocery store Pandamart in Kowloon Bay at 6pm on Saturday, holding placards reading "Say no to slavery" and "Stop wage cut."
The strike ran through yesterday though Pandamart services in Mong Kok, Sha Tin, Tsuen Wan and Kwun Tong were available last night with estimated delivery times of 30 to 55 minutes.
Organizers now plan action whereby workers will refuse orders on Foodpanda's grocery delivery service Pandamart for five days.
A new round of strikes will be launched next weekend if the company does not respond, riders said.
The mapping system that has angered riders was implemented late last month in response to demands raised during a strike last November. Riders claimed then that Foodpanda's system did not take into account traveling on elevated roads but figured all journeys on the flat.
The strikers now have 10 demands including fair pay, transparent fee calculations, expanded insurance, a weight limit on deliveries, a right to reject orders, and bonuses for deliveries in bad weather.
A female striker said her pay has decreased by a third since the new system was rolled out in September.
"Foodpanda must be fair and transparent with the way they calculate our wages," she said.
Another striker said: "I could earn HK$55 in delivery fees for an order before, but that has dropped to HK$50."
In response, Foodpanda said yesterday that riders' wages have not decreased, and it had integrated its delivery distance calculation system with Google maps.
The company also said it increased distance service fees by 17 percent since the launch of the new system, and that for 66 percent of orders - particularly long-distance ones - delivery riders received increased pay.
A spokesman added that the company recognizes "unforeseen circumstances" brought about by the new mapping system, and it vowed to hold a dialogue with riders every Friday on solutions.
On insurance, riders have petitioned Foodpanda to expand coverage after the family of a courier who died in a crash on his way to work did not receive the maximum payout for accidental death as he was not on shift at the time.
The company gave the rider's family HK$75,000 - 20 percent of the maximum payout under its policy.
Over 40 riders parked their motorcycles outside Foodpanda's grocery store Pandamart in Kowloon Bay at 6pm on Saturday, holding placards reading "Say no to slavery" and "Stop wage cut."
The strike ran through yesterday though Pandamart services in Mong Kok, Sha Tin, Tsuen Wan and Kwun Tong were available last night with estimated delivery times of 30 to 55 minutes.
Organizers now plan action whereby workers will refuse orders on Foodpanda's grocery delivery service Pandamart for five days.
A new round of strikes will be launched next weekend if the company does not respond, riders said.
The mapping system that has angered riders was implemented late last month in response to demands raised during a strike last November. Riders claimed then that Foodpanda's system did not take into account traveling on elevated roads but figured all journeys on the flat.
The strikers now have 10 demands including fair pay, transparent fee calculations, expanded insurance, a weight limit on deliveries, a right to reject orders, and bonuses for deliveries in bad weather.
A female striker said her pay has decreased by a third since the new system was rolled out in September.
"Foodpanda must be fair and transparent with the way they calculate our wages," she said.
Another striker said: "I could earn HK$55 in delivery fees for an order before, but that has dropped to HK$50."
In response, Foodpanda said yesterday that riders' wages have not decreased, and it had integrated its delivery distance calculation system with Google maps.
The company also said it increased distance service fees by 17 percent since the launch of the new system, and that for 66 percent of orders - particularly long-distance ones - delivery riders received increased pay.
A spokesman added that the company recognizes "unforeseen circumstances" brought about by the new mapping system, and it vowed to hold a dialogue with riders every Friday on solutions.
On insurance, riders have petitioned Foodpanda to expand coverage after the family of a courier who died in a crash on his way to work did not receive the maximum payout for accidental death as he was not on shift at the time.
The company gave the rider's family HK$75,000 - 20 percent of the maximum payout under its policy.
