THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: THE online food delivery boys bear the brunt of the summer heat as the temperature keeps soaring. The disaster management authority specifically left instructions to be followed when it comes to online food delivery staff working from 11 am-3 pm period when the heat wave is at the peak.
However, hundreds of them work across the cities of Kerala in the scorching heat without benefits. “The point of the job itself is we deliver food on time. Working at noon can’t be helped. However, there are exemptions that can be made. We still use black shirts as part of the company policy. The ‘fast delivery’ factor also works against us. Finishing a delivery faster has its perks,” said Vishnu , a food delivery staff. Swiggy, one of the food delivery services, has decided to distribute summer kits for its delivery boys. The kit will be equipped with essentials including arm sleeves and water bottle.
It is working with restaurant partners to provide potable water facilities for all its delivery partners. “Our model is based on the comfort of our partners. Delivery partners work with Swiggy on a principal- to-principal basis.
They engage themselves voluntarily to undertake the task of pick-up and delivery service with the flexibility to decide when and for how long they would like to accept delivery requests, “ said a Swiggy representative.