Yesterday Swiggy Delivery Riders from Kolkata marched to the city Swiggy Office. Around 300 delivery riders from more than 10 zones across the city participated in this colorful event where a bike rally took over the streets of kolkata. It was not an isolated event. Riders of Swiggy went into a strike two months ago, just before the festive season. At that time the strike was called off as the management promised to look after the demands.
The main demand of the swiggy delivery workers is very simple. They demand a base pay (i.e., minimum earning per order) of Rs 35 and payment Per km Rs 10. Considering the present petrol/diesel price and overall inflation this demand is quite natural. Conditions of cycle riders are even worse. Demand to restrict their total distance (per order) within 3 km has been made. Moreover, demand to give the delivery workers with Instamart IDs a base pay of Rs 20 was made.
The company is indeed increasing the delivery charges from the customers as well as their 'monopoly rent' over the resturants. However, they remain too stubborn to listen to the legitimate demands of their workers.
Moreover, harrassments of riders by the company like blocking of IDs for arbitrary reasons are commonplace. The workers have no recourse even to respond. Also, insurance claims are not available in many of the accident cases, including death cases.
Yesterday, Swiggy's Kolkata Management basically expressed their incapacity to address these issues. They indicated to the main Bangalore office. This is the model of GIG economy, where local has no control over global. The Swiggy delivery riders are garnering experience to turn the table around. This invisible and unaccountable managements of GIG & Platform corporates are sucking their living labour with algorithm of virtual world. Swiggy delivery riders know that they have to develop a solidarity and unity of a different scale to make the ignorant and invisible management visible and accountable.
Our demands ---
1) Give a base pay of Rs 35 and Per KM payment of Rs 10
2) Stop giving the cycle riders order above 3 km total distance.
3) Make the base pay of the riders with Instamart IDs Rs 20.
4) Revoke the "Gigs" (i.e., prior slot-booking) system.
5) Make the procedure of getting health and accidental claims simple and user-friendly.
6) Stop the policy of snatching orders from the swiggy riders and giving them to Third-party app riders.
7) Recognise the Swiggy delivery riders as workers with the effective implementation of their worker's rights.
Stand in Solidarity with Struggling Swiggy Delivery Riders.
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