THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The ongoing strike by Uber delivery persons in the city protesting the salary cuts by online aggregator is crippling online food business. As the boycott enters its third day on Sunday, they are still awaiting a positive response from the management.
A meeting with the Kerala Operations head of Uber Eats was held on Thursday, with 350 delivery ‘partners’. The strike commenced on Friday after the discussion failed to bear fruit. Majority of the workers come from areas like Neyyattinkara, Nedumangad, Attingal.
“Our income was badly hit after the authorities imposed a one-fourth slash in salary. The reduction began in July and was done in phases. In October, however, things got to a state where we had to manage the fuel expenses,” said Shaheer Salim, a delivery executive.
The executives have launched the Online Delivery Partners Association of India, and raised multiple demands—reinstation of incentives, adding surge charge during peak hours, regulating the daily schedule and categorising it into five timings - 7am to 11am, 11am to 3.30pm, 3.30pm to 6.30pm, 6.30pm to 9.30pm and 9.30pm to 2am, hiring back the executives who have been sent away, providing a notice period of three months before letting go of an executive and regulating the recruitment of new employees.
Uber Eats started its operations in the city over a year-and-half ago and has employed more than 10,000 delivery executives, including college students and women. Delivery partners working with rival brands Swiggy and Zomato have also expressed their solidarity with UberEats executives.
Change in incentive structure likely
“Uber’s goal is to ensure higher partner earnings through increased demand. We have rolled out changes in the incentive structure for our executives in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi, intending to improve overall experience. Their earnings will not be affected by the change in the system,” said Uber Eats spokesperson.