Foodpanda HK and couriers agree to talk amidst delivery strike for reduced fee

Hundreds of foodpanda Hong Kong's couriers and delivery partners went on strike over the weekend as they were unhappy with the company’s choice to decrease delivery fee. Since the incident the company said it will have a meeting with couriers on Tuesday to remedy a solution. 

According to The Standard, over 300 foodpanda couriers went on strike on Saturday as foodpanda Hong Kong decreased the delivery fee of each order by HK$10 throughout the year. For example, couriers who deliver food on foot saw payouts decrease from HK$35 to HK24 per order, while couriers using their motorcycle had their payment drop from HK$55 to HK$44. The fee for delivering two orders at the same time was cut as well as the second delivery fee was decreased by even HK$36, according to HK01. The decrease have seen a 30% impact on delivery partners, resulting in the full-time couriers earning about HK$14,000 after netting out costs spent on fuel and maintenance. 

A representative of the couriers said he could earn up to HK$1,000 a day in August. However, after the adjustment, his income decreased to just about HK$700 a day. 

Meanwhile, on Saturday night, it was reported that a courier was assaulted by fellow couriers for not joining the strike. The courier was kicked, punched and even hit by bicycle chains before being taken to hospital. In a report from the South China Morning Post, operations director Pedro Dias said the company could not tolerate the intimidation of other couriers who chose to work, adding that the assault was not the right way to conduct a productive dialogue.  

With the company inviting the couriers to have a discussion on this coming Tuesday, the couriers have suspended their strike as of Monday. According to HK01, couriers were given three choices - choose to go on strike until the management gives them a satisfying answer; go on strike until Tuesday; or suspend the strike to have a dialogue. The majority of the couriers chose the first choice and only couriers at Kowloon Bay will resume work today. Couriers at other districts will continue going on strike. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to foodpanda Hong Kong for more details. 

In July, Foodpanda Thailand also had to publicly apologise for after multiple media outlets including Nikkei Asia reported that foodpanda Thailand said it would fire a rider who had participated in the pro-democracy movement. In a previous Twitter statement on 18 July, the food delivery company responded to a tweet saying it "will expedite the strict implementation" of the company's rules by immediately dismissing the driver. Foodpanda added that it has a policy against all forms of violence and terrorism, and it is willing to fully cooperate with the authorities "in prosecuting criminals".

The statement was published after footage from the pro-democracy rally showed a man present when a royal portrait was set on fire. Another clip also showed the same man riding off on a motorcycle with a woman and the motorcycle reportedly had a bag with the foodpanda logo on it.

In its latest statement on Twitter, foodpanda explained that the comment was posted by its team member without the company's consent and does not represent foodpanda. "We know this has hugely affected and frustrated customers, riders, partners and members of the public, and we are taking responsibility for this comment that was posted on our Twitter feed, regardless of who posted it and how it occurred," foodpanda said.

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