Support foodpanda riders in Hong Kong after deadly accident

On July 26^th a foodpanda rider died in the streets of Hong Kong in an accident. Some colleagues and family members wrote a joint letter demanding from foodpanda to enhance work injury protection and review work safety risks.

The Riders’ Rights Concern Group (Hong Kong) calls on labour groups and rider unions worldwide to join this effort and sign the open letter by August 16th! Contact: dhridersunited@protonmail.com

Many unions of the #DeliveryHeroRidersUnited network – initiated by foodpanda riders in Myanmar together with the ICL working group Asia – already expressed their support.

The letter will be submitted to foodpanda Hong Kong (Delivery Hero Hong Kong Limited):

We are heartbroken to see our colleague passed away in the accident on 26 July. As some of us work in the same zone, we know the brother was very nice and hardworking. Every day he rushed to work earlier due to recent pay cut by foodpanda, as well as a growing number of parking penalty tickets issued to him during the deliveries.

So, we share the sorrow with his family, and we hope his family can go through the difficult time. What makes us more painful is we know clearly that the same can happen to any of us.

We strive to run under the sun and in the rain just to make our ends meet. But if anything happens, the insurance, with such a low benefit level, won’t be able to support us and our family. Or maybe we won’t even be covered if it’s not during a delivery. Or foodpanda might not tell our families what happens until half a day later.

So what has foodpanda done to protect us in our work? What do we get as we risk our lives every day?

And it’s not only about insurance. We are rushing on the road faster because foodpanda cuts our wage and pushes us to complete more orders. We are working longer hours because foodpanda keeps recruiting more riders, making each of us get fewer orders. Also, foodpanda doesn’t help us with parking places and expenses. These all contribute to the risks in work safety. It’s all related.

Thus, we demand that foodpanda should:

1. account for the accident to the victim’s family, all foodpanda couriers, and the public,

2. raise the benefit level and broaden the coverage of the insurance

3. review all the factors that might lead to risks in work safety, including payment, control, app, etc.,

4. have a meeting with couriers on safety, injury, and insurance issues,

5. communicate with government departments about parking spaces, and cover some parking expenses.

A group of Hong Kong foodpanda riders (July 28th, 2022)

So far endorsed by:

• CGT Riders – General Confederation of Labor (Spain)

• Coordinadora Intersindical de Riders en Estado Español – CirRiders (Spain)

• Corriente Sindical de Izquierdas – CsiRiders (Spain)

• Hsinchu Delivery Industry Union (Taiwan)

• Hsinchu Platform Delivery Workers Union (Taiwan)

• International Confederation of Labour (ICL) Working Group Asia

• Kapatiran sa Dalawang Gulong – Kagulong (Philippines)

• Myanmar Foodpanda Riders Union (Myanmar)

• National Delivery Union (Taiwan)

• Pingtung Platform Delivery Workers Union (Taiwan)

• S.V.E.O.D. – Base Union Assembly for Bike and Motorcycle Riders (Athens, Greece)

• Taichung Delivery Platform Service Industry Union (Taiwan)

• Taoyuan Digital Platform Delivery Workers Union (Taiwan)

• TEHİS – Tourism, Leisure and Service Workers’ Union (Turkey)

Also available in: Español (Spanish)