Around 50 stores of Blinkit, the grocery unit of food delivery firm Zomato, are currently closed in several parts of Delhi-NCR as delivery partners protest against the recent changes in the payment structure. According to Blinkit’s revised payment structure, delivery partners would now receive a minimum fee of Rs 15 per delivery, instead of Rs 25 per delivery.

Regular customers in many parts of Delhi and NCR have also been unable to place orders on the Blinkit app for the last few days due to a message that greeted them saying “Due to excess demand, temporarily unavailable”.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson from Haryana, Yashpal Batra, has met with the Gurugram Labour Commissioner to seek immediate redressal of the grievances of protesting Blinkit delivery executives. Batra claims that the quick-commerce company has slashed the delivery fees to INR 14 per order from INR 50 earlier, a move that has angered the delivery executives. The Labour Commissioner has directed the company executives to address the issue by April 17.

Blinkit has defended its actions, stating that it has introduced a new payout structure for its partners that compensates them based on their effort to deliver an order. The company claims that this is an opt-in exercise and that its teams are on the ground to answer any questions from the partners. The company believes that the new structure is fair to both the partners and the customers.

The company has acknowledged that some locations have experienced disruptions due to the protests but has stated that it is actively engaging with its partners to get the stores back up and running for its customers.

The issue of low delivery fees is not unique to Blinkit, with many foodtech companies facing similar protests and demands for higher fees from their delivery partners. The issue highlights the challenges faced by companies in the gig economy in ensuring fair pay and working conditions for their delivery partners.

In the current situation, it remains to be seen how Blinkit will respond to the demands of its delivery partners and whether the company can resolve the issue amicably. It is important for companies to balance the needs of their partners and customers while ensuring that they remain profitable and sustainable in the long run.

Around 50 stores of Blinkit, the grocery unit of food delivery firm Zomato, are currently closed in several parts of Delhi-NCR as delivery partners protest against the recent changes in the payment structure. According to Blinkit’s revised payment structure, delivery partners would now receive a minimum fee of Rs 15 per delivery, instead of Rs 25 per delivery.

Regular customers in many parts of Delhi and NCR have also been unable to place orders on the Blinkit app for the last few days due to a message that greeted them saying “Due to excess demand, temporarily unavailable”.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson from Haryana, Yashpal Batra, has met with the Gurugram Labour Commissioner to seek immediate redressal of the grievances of protesting Blinkit delivery executives. Batra claims that the quick-commerce company has slashed the delivery fees to INR 14 per order from INR 50 earlier, a move that has angered the delivery executives. The Labour Commissioner has directed the company executives to address the issue by April 17.

Blinkit has defended its actions, stating that it has introduced a new payout structure for its partners that compensates them based on their effort to deliver an order. The company claims that this is an opt-in exercise and that its teams are on the ground to answer any questions from the partners. The company believes that the new structure is fair to both the partners and the customers.

The company has acknowledged that some locations have experienced disruptions due to the protests but has stated that it is actively engaging with its partners to get the stores back up and running for its customers.

The issue of low delivery fees is not unique to Blinkit, with many foodtech companies facing similar protests and demands for higher fees from their delivery partners. The issue highlights the challenges faced by companies in the gig economy in ensuring fair pay and working conditions for their delivery partners.

In the current situation, it remains to be seen how Blinkit will respond to the demands of its delivery partners and whether the company can resolve the issue amicably. It is important for companies to balance the needs of their partners and customers while ensuring that they remain profitable and sustainable in the long run.