Foodpanda delivery drivers have reportedly been on strike since 4 June after the Foodpanda Company failed to comply with their demands.
A strike leader told Mizzima that bicycle delivery drivers in Yangon and Mandalay are on strike, with a large number of workers involved.
''The strike has begun. Many workers have taken a break, but some are still working”, a strike leader said.
He also urged customers not to order foods via the Foodpanda App and also to cooperate with strikers by giving bad reviews for the Food Panda Company.
'We have not received any of our demands from the Foodpanda Company yet, so we will go on strike and not go to work. If customers don’t order food from Foodpanda, the company can’t properly function without customers. I think customers don’t like the way Foodpanda oppresses its riders. That’s why we requested that customers help us by not ordering food from the Foodpanda app at the moment', a strike leader told Mizzima.
The strike was announced on 4 June and the company has not yet been contacted, according to strike leaders. The strike is still ongoing and is planned to continue in the coming days, provided that the workers can afford to.
Foodpanda workers first made their demands to Foodpanda for fairer employment conditions on 16 March 2022.
The workers made an eight-point demand.
They have asked for the following from Foodpanda:
1 Raising the minimum order fee to 670 kyats ($0.36 USD) dependent on the riders’ level.
2 Easing the strict controls of the computer system managing the riders’ work.
3 Provide treatment and compensation for riders injured during work hours.
4 Allow drivers to take one day off a week, reduce overtime, give paid leave and stop forcing drivers to make up any hours they take off.
5 Use Google Maps to calculate delivery distances.
6 If the company makes any statement that affects the riders, it should be officially announced one week in advance on the official social media and telegram channels used by the office.
7 There should be a hotline number for riders to contact Foodpanda directly in case of problems.
8 To issue identification cards to delivery workers.
Despite the dissatisfaction of its delivery riders in Myanmar, the poor pay, and the poor conditions they have to work under Food Panda has issued its own report on the social impact of Foodpanda, in all the markets where it operates, titled Pandapurpose.
Unsurprisingly, the report does not mention the dissatisfaction of the company’s employees in Myanmar and says that the company treats its employees well. It claims in a press release that the “report showcases how Foodpanda uplifted riders, merchants and customers thrive through technology across its 12 operating markets.”
Foodpanda has been operating in Myanmar since December 2019.
