Ride hailing and food delivery platform Grab Philippines affirmed that their penalty policy is applied to its delivery riders and are conducted with due process following protests conducted by aggrieved riders.
“Grab continues to follow its Drivers’ Guidelines - where all our partners have been made well aware of during their onboarding, for any necessary sanctions," said the company in a statement in response to protests made by hundreds of delivery riders calling for fairer compensation and management.
Previously, some riders have alleged that they have been unjustly suspended or terminated for attending rallies and airing their concerns.
"We would like to reaffirm that Grab does not apply these sanctions indiscriminately and was carried out with proper assessment and due process, and still assessed whether there is evidence pointing to an actual violation,” added Grab.
Previously, a unity ride was held in Quezon City, supported by the National Union of Food Delivery Riders.
The riders protested Grab's new fare matrix which they said reduced the fare rate per order to P35 instead of P45, as well as the per kilometer compensation to P7 from P10. These new rates have resulted in even lesser incomes, noted the riders.
They also called for the reinstatement of the suspended or terminated delivery partners.
“To date, Grab’s current earning model provides the most competitive earning potential for its partners as compared to that offered by other delivery platforms, and many of our partners attest that their average income has either remained at par or has slightly increased following the implementation of the new earnings model,” said Grab.
The company insisted that it remains committed to an open dialogue with delivery partners, emphasizing “constructive discussions with representatives of our delivery partners to hear their feedback and collaboratively work on practical solutions that serve the best interests of our entire Grab community.”
The delivery service's riders have conducted a couple of protests over the fare matrix intermittently within the last months, with their concerns reaching the Congress and the Senate.
The fare matrix has been questioned by Senator Risa Hontiveros, who expressed her support to the riders' protests, saying the new rates "should not come at the expense of the platform's riders."
Meanwhile, the issue of alleged illegal termination of riders' has been brought to the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC).
Grab said it is aware of the concerns raised by their delivery partners, and are aiming to resolve them.
"Our primary goal has always been to create a fair and sustainable environment, where partners are compensated for their efforts, especially considering the current macroeconomic changes. The new model was designed to address long-standing concerns about compensation for pick-up efforts and extended wait times, while also providing a guaranteed minimum fare to protect our partners' earnings," it stated.