The possibility of delivery workers going on strike again should be a warning that we need more apps that can bring products to consumers faster than ever
We need to be more appreciative of delivery apps and the role they play in making India better. We seem to forget what life was like before these companies came along. File pic/Atul Kamble
It’s been a few weeks, but I still think about how New Year’s Eve could have been awful for so many Bombayites if a strike called by some men had to be successful in any way. These disgruntled workers (also referred to as delivery partners by people with MBAs because that is better for PR) were threatening to log off delivery and shopping apps, reduce work, and even cancel orders, simply because their demands weren’t being met. They wanted shorter hours, better pay, insurance, and better working conditions, all of which sounded reasonable, but also surprising, because we all know how rare these things are in most Indian workplaces. For unions to assume they would get these things when most white-collar workers have yet to, felt almost delusional.
I have long believed that the best way to be treated better by Indian CEOs is to reach out to them and ask politely. If these workers were to email the entrepreneurs who run most food delivery and commerce apps, I am sure they would stop tweeting for an hour and do everything they could to make their employees happier. After all, if there’s one thing Indian CEOs accept without question, it’s the fact that their wealth is generated by people who do the actual work. It’s also why the announcement of a strike took me by surprise.
Luckily, better sense prevailed, and there were no delays related to food or 10-minute shopping. It did make me wonder if we have enough apps though, given that another such strike may end up causing real harm if workers start asking for something unreasonable like healthcare for their families. At some point, the government should step in and encourage the growth of more such apps that can bring products to consumers faster than ever. Why wait for 10 minutes when we can wait for just five?
One of the nicest things about India, as NRIs routinely point out, is how people don’t need to be paid a lot for backbreaking labour. This may seem like a cruel, exploitative system, but as the CEO of a delivery platform recently asked, why would workers sign up if they felt that something was unfair?
I think the problem isn’t the platforms themselves, but the labour unions who are never satisfied with what is given. They complain about how delivery partners are compelled to work more for smaller per-order payouts, conveniently forgetting that venture capitalists need to recover their investments. If companies start to ignore VCs and prioritise employees, CEOs will lose their bonuses, and it’s all downhill from there. Unions also say that delivery workers are treated as disposable labour, which can’t be true because if it were, they would quit and opt for something a little more dependable, like a ride-sharing company.
Unions go on and on about systemic issues, fairer pay, social security, and transparency, forgetting that innocent customers end up bearing the brunt of their activism. What does it say about a country growing faster than Japan and Germany that groceries can’t be delivered to one’s doorstep within minutes? How are we to beat the West if we restrict the growth of startups and entrepreneurs by putting up hurdles related to safety and employee well-being?
We need to be more appreciative of delivery apps and the role they play in making India better. We seem to forget what life was like before these companies came along: how we would have to walk to a grocery store or send a servant to get us what we needed; how we would have to cook for ourselves, or order food in advance to ensure it would arrive in time; how we would have to visit stores with a list to avoid making a second or third trip. None of those problems exist today, and it’s only because of entrepreneurs who have replicated foreign business models and enhanced them with a little help from our limitless pool of undereducated and unemployed youth.
There may be another strike in the coming months, with new demands by delivery workers. I hope this doesn’t happen, and that unions start to acknowledge how there are more important things than worker health and safety. They need to think about millions of Bombayites who are stuck in their apartments, desperate for ice cream, potato chips, or fast food, unable to get out on their own and feed themselves.
Delivery workers should acknowledge that what they have isn’t just a temporary job; it’s a vocation.
When he isn’t ranting about all things Mumbai, Lindsay Pereira can be almost sweet. He tweets @lindsaypereira
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The views expressed in this column are the individual’s and don’t represent those of the paper.
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