CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Foodpanda delivery riders here are conducting a series of work stoppages or “tigil pasada” starting on Sunday, July 30, to express disappointment over the company’s alleged malpractice.
SEVERAL members of the Hero Riders of Cagayan de Oro-Associated Labor Unions gather in Divisoria, Cagayan de Oro City, on Sunday, July 30, to stage a silent protest and implement ‘Tigil Pasada’ during peak hours to express their disappointment in Foodpanda’s alleged malpractice. (Franck Dick Rosete)
According to Chris Canizares, president of the Hero Riders of Cagayan de Oro-Associated Labor Unions (HRCDO-ALU), they were prompted to launch the work stoppages after they still have not received any development on the resolution of their concerns.
Canizares said the work stoppages will be conducted every Sunday, especially during peak hours from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
"I would like to apologize to the patrons of Foodpanda; probably they are affected because it’s Sunday. I purposely chose Sunday because there are family gatherings and many would place orders," Canizares said.
The group urged the city government not to renew Foodpanda’s business permit until they re-open their office here which has been one of their main concerns.
Aside from reopening the hub, the delivery riders also wanted the company to resolve various issues regarding their daily earnings and illegal termination and provide plans on their health insurance and government-mandated benefits, among others.
During their silent protest on Sunday at Divisoria here, a female Foodpanda delivery rider showed up and joined her colleagues despite being involved in an accident after delivering an order.
The female delivery rider said she paid P40,000 for the first session of rehabilitation, and there will be two other sessions in the future. Canizares stated that they are still inquiring with the company about the rider's accident insurance.
Councilor Malvern Esparcia has brought the delivery riders’ concerns to the city council through his special report. The labor committee has conducted a hearing with representatives from Foodpanda and Grab to tackle their concerns.
Canizares questioned the committee hearing after no representative from their group was invited to be part of the discussions.
In response, Councilor Jose Pepe Abbu Jr., chairman of the labor committee, said he was also surprised about the absence of the food delivery riders’ representative since he had been instructing the city council secretariat to invite the concerned groups after he assumed the chairmanship of the committee.
He said that the delivery riders had been on the guest list during the time of then-labor committee chairperson Councilor Joyleen Mercedes Balaba. But previous hearing schedules had been cancelled for some reasons.
"They can make a letter again addressed to the committee; I will schedule it as soon as possible. I’ll make sure that the invitation will be sent to them," Abbu said in a phone interview on Sunday.
A FEMALE delivery rider injured in an accident after delivering an order holds a placard that says ‘Insurance’ during the silent protest of the Hero Riders of Cagayan de Oro-Associated Labor Union in Divisoria, Cagayan de Oro City, on Sunday, July 30. (Franck Dick Rosete)
During the committee meeting, Esparcia raised the call for the reopening of the Foodpanda hub. But Abbu said it wasn’t being discussed since it was beyond the jurisdiction of the labor committee and needed to be tackled with the committee on trade and commerce.
The HRCDO-ALU president wrote a letter addressed to Esparcia, requesting the case of the delivery riders be transferred to the trade and commerce committee.
As to the call not to renew Foodpanda’s business permit, Abbu said if the city council sees unfair labor practices that have been conducted by the company, it can make recommendations based on the findings, and the final decision will come from the local chief executive.
In an online post in the city council’s official Facebook page, Foodpanda representative Ruben Mariano said during the hearing that the company has an online generating system with dispatchers based in Malaysia, where riders may reach out to raise their concerns. But Canizares stressed that the said online system is not enough.
The post said that Foodpanda offers insurance, and it "is currently reviewing a new insurance scheme that might include a wider coverage for riders." The company is also coordinating with the government agencies to facilitate riders for registration as individual members of Philhealth, Pag-IBIG, and the Social Security System.
Nicandro Borja, regional operations director of the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) Northern Mindanao, said they are currently studying the status of the delivery riders and are planning to file a petition for Certification Election in order to determine if the delivery riders are employed by Foodpanda.
"For us, they are really considered workers of Foodpanda because their work is being controlled. So, once you control the workers on their work, they are considered employees of the company. There is, therefore, an employee-employer relationship," Borja, who also joined the movement, said.
A DELIVERY rider holds a placard that says ‘Tip na, Scamda pa’ during the silent protest of the Hero Riders of Cagayan de Oro-Associated Labor Union in Divisoria, Cagayan de Oro City, on Sunday, July 30. (Franck Dick Rosete)
Certification election is the process of determining through secret ballot the sole and exclusive bargaining agent (SEBA) of all the employees in an appropriate bargaining unit for the purpose of collective bargaining, according to the Department of Labor and Employment.
The ALU-TUCP Northern Mindanao provides legal assistance to various labor groups in the region.
Canizares said the protest every Sunday will continue until the online food ordering company addresses their calls.