'Higher salary, job security': Zomato, Blinkit delivery staff need more than just a place to rest in between orders

Zomato co-founder Deepinder Goyal announced last week that the company will be building rest points to support delivery staff in between deliveries across the country and this project is being called ‘The Shelter Project,’. This development seems to be welcomed by delivery partners who otherwise did not have a place to relax between deliveries.

A 27-year-old Zomato delivery partner told Business Today that usually he had to wait on his vehicles till he was assigned new orders.

“This is good, I like this. Otherwise, we have no place to wait until the next order comes. Me and many other delivery partners I know just sit on our bikes, be it summer or winter. Gets worse in summer because of the heatwave, so this is well timing also,” he said.

While making the announcement about these rest points, Goyal said, "We recognise that this initiative is just one step in our ongoing effort to support delivery partners, and we remain committed to exploring innovative ways to create a safer and more supportive gig environment for them."

But a big question that seems to be looming is that while Zomato's initiative is welcome, is this sufficient?

So, Business Today spoke to a few Zomato and Blinkit delivery partners around Delhi/NCR to understand what some of their concerns are and how the company can take measures to solve it.

Business Today has also reached out to Zomato for official comments, and the story will be updated when the publication receives it.

Better pay

When what are the major issues that concern them, a 24-year-old Blinkit delivery partner said, “Biggest concern is salary. Petrol prices are on the rise every day, everything is getting expensive. I feel like in a few months at this rate of inflation, working here would not make sense when I look at the monetary aspect of it.”

The Fairwork India study released in December last year echoes this statement made by the delivery partner. The study noted that Zomato and Blinkit do not even pay local minimum wage to its gig workers.

The delivery partner told Business Today that he makes an average Rs 40 on each order delivered and the biggest cost he incurs is petrol.

"On average each delivery gets me Rs 40, if the trip is long distance, then I get little extra money. Tips are rare," he said.

Insurance

Delivery partners are on the road for the most part of their day and the risk attached to the roads is always lurking around the corner for them. Several instances of fatal accidents have been reported where delivery partners have lost their lives, and Zomato has provided financial support to the family of the deceased.

But delivery partners say that the insurance benefits should be extended. A 32-year-old delivery partner told Business Today, “I used to work in a company first so the insurance was very holistic. But that is not the case here. We do have insurance, yes, but unlike that in my previous jobs it is not extended to my family members or dependent relatives.”

Bhagyashree Pancholy, an employment lawyer, explained why this is the case. “Gig workers miss out on holistic insurance covers because they are not actual employees of the company, they are hired as third-party contractors. The Indian laws only mandate ‘employers’ to provide insurance to their ‘employees’. There is no law so far that covers gig workers," she said.

Job security

Furthermore, delivery partners at Zomato also feel insecure about their jobs in light of the increasing recessionary fears and advancements in technology.

The 27-year-old delivery person told Business Today, “Job cuts are rampant, big tech jobs are going away, who is to say what will happen to my job in the next 5 years? There are videos of drones delivering stuff that I see on the internet, how long will it take them to apply this for food delivery I wonder.”

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