Labor protection needed for FoodPanda riders

Government must provide labor and occupational safety and health standards protection for the thriving freelance riders who are playing a vital role in keeping the economy alive during this pandemic crisis.

Motorcycle riders are the emerging most abused workers since the very beginning of their service existence. We all saw and felt how these riders keep the economy moving particularly during COVID19 quarantine lockdown yet they have no fixed wages and social protection benefits standards, and no work safety and health standards for their well-being. 

With the industry provided jobs to workers both from the formal and economy workers who were displaced by the pandemic, motorcycle riders are providing service to app-based and online businesses and employers in transporting passengers, food and non-food deliveries amid constant exposure to air pollution, rain and extreme heat.

They also lack safety protection against the risk of coronavirus exposure in their daily work operation.

Yet they are regarded by their employers and business owners as business “partners”, freelancers and/or independent contractor to evade responsibilities that an employer-employee relationship requires.

Business-owners, most importantly, also ignore the standard wages and social protection benefits and payment of government taxes despite of a clear existence of an employer-employee relationship between them.

Unfortunately, there is no law or policy that directly caters to the growing motorcycle and four-wheel gig industry workers. 

On Thursday, some 400 riders from FoodPanda Riders Association staged a motorcade rally in front of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to call the attention of Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III. They asked Bello to conduct an inspection at the disadvantagious company new grading work payment scheme enforced recently.