Foodpanda: Glitch caused riders’ suspension
FOODPANDA said it had a technical glitch in its rider software, which caused the 10-year suspension of some of its riders for supposedly violating their agreements with the company after they planned to protest the alleged mistreatment they received from the food delivery app.
The digital platform said in a statement that its rider software did not recognize the off boarding option and instead, sent out the message for the 10-year suspension.
“Our technical team has taken all the necessary steps to address this error and we have explained the same to riders who have attended our invitations for open dialogue.”
To recall, foodpanda recently suspended a number of its riders in davao after they held a protest against its supposed unfair payment scheme. They were suspended from the platform for 10 years.
All riders who were off boarded “have been invited to small group dialogues with the foodpanda team to openly discuss the situation on each case, and the possibility of reboarding them.”
Infrawatch, a public policy think tank, earlier called for a boycott of foodpanda for suspending its riders. The digital platform considers its riders as “partners” and not as employees, a scheme that the think tank questions.
Foodpanda said rider fees are “dynamic” and are calculated based on multiple factors that include the route and distance of the delivery, making the payment structure more “organized and fair.”
The earnings of riders on each order, it claimed, “are transparent at the point of their accepting each order before proceeding.”
“As a company, foodpanda is always working hard to keep operations running smoothly everyday - so that restaurants can get orders, riders can deliver them for a living, and customers receive satisfactory service. There are complex areas of balance that are critical so that everyone can be fairly compensated and satisfied,” the digital platform said.
It also admitted to have failed to “communicate better” and noted that it is “always open to feedback for improvements.”
“[B]ut please rest assured that all communication channels are open especially to our hard working riders to express their concerns and feedback,” the company said. “We will continue to initiate and continue with regular dialogues to help riders better understand their earnings structure, and other benefits available to them.”