Blinkit Workers Go on Strike against New Pay Structure, Business hit in Delhi NCR, Gurugram
Ten News Network
New Delhi (India), 13th April 2023: After delivery partners for the grocery delivery application went on strike against the revised pay structure, Blinkit services were interrupted in Delhi-NCR on Wednesday. By decreasing executive delivery rates, Blinkit has shifted the delivery incentive structure.
The employees organised demonstrations in Gurugram, Faridabad, and other areas of the Delhi-NCR. They later spoke with the District Commissioner for Gurugram. Blinkit has received a notification from the Haryana Labour Department after employees contacted the officials on Wednesday.
In conversation with The Hindu, Nitin a delivery worker said, “Now, the cost each delivery ranges from $7 to $18. We used to receive $50 for three kilometres earlier. We will now only receive 18 for 3 km. Each order can only be up to 20 kilogrammes in weight. They fire us if we don’t deliver to customers’ doorsteps. Nobody is present to help us. So decided to protest by going on a work strike.”
According to the All India Gig Workers’ Union, it has offered the workers help on this matter. The company’s illegal policies, according to union leader Rikta Krishnaswamy, are a clear breach of the Shops and Establishments Act.
In support of the delivery agents she said in a statement, “The corporation discontinued the incentive programme without consulting the employees and arbitrarily reduced the per delivery rates offered to their riders from 32 to 15. The company’s decision will have a negative effect on the wages of the employees, who already put in up to 12 to 14 hours a day to make subsistence rates.”
She further said, “We will support the workers in escalating their demands for a fair pay and decent working hours in accordance with the law, to the respective Labour offices in Gurugram and Delhi.”