Blinkit delivery riders on strike; service hit in parts of Delhi-NCR

The gig economy is often touted as an earning opportunity for delivery partners while increasing convenience for consumers by Indian startups. But time and again, either restaurants or delivery personnel complain about policies at Swiggy and Zomato that bite into their income, and even go on strike.

The latest protest by delivery workers at Blinkit has brought its services in Delhi and the national capital region to a screeching halt.

Lights out at dark stores

• Around 200 dark stores or warehouses for the Zomato-backed online grocer have been closed for three days, and service at more facilities will be hit in days to come.

• This is because delivery partners are unhappy about the new payout plan, which will dent their earnings further.

• Riders complain that they earned Rs 50 as delivery fee per order last year, after which it was reduced twice, and stands at Rs 15 now.

Riders restricted customers left in a lurch

• Apart from this, the new structure has a distance-based payment component, which limits earnings as they can only make more where the density of dark store is less.

• On the other end, customers in the Indian capital are complaining about being unable to place orders, as the app shows that nearby stores are down for maintenance.

• According to netizens, barring some stores in South Delhi and Noida, most are unavailable for 10 minute deliveries.

• Despite the strike, Blinkit is moving forward to implement the payout structure, which it insists is fair and beneficial for delivery workers and consumers.