Grab Philippines Faces Protests from Aggrieved Delivery Riders Over Penalty Policy
In response to protests from hundreds of delivery riders, ride-hailing and food delivery platform Grab Philippines has affirmed that their penalty policy is applied to its delivery riders and are conducted with due process.
The company stated that it continues to follow its Drivers’ Guidelines and that necessary sanctions are applied to partners who have been made well aware of the guidelines during their onboarding process.
The protests stem from allegations from some riders who claimed they have been unjustly suspended or terminated for attending rallies and airing their concerns. The riders also took issue with Grab’s new fare matrix, which they said reduced the fare rate per order to P35 instead of P45, as well as the per kilometer compensation to P7 from P10. These changes have resulted in reduced incomes for the riders.
A unity ride was held in Quezon City, supported by the National Union of Food Delivery Riders, to protest the new fare matrix and call for the reinstatement of the suspended or terminated delivery partners. The issue has also reached Congress and the Senate, with Senator Risa Hontiveros expressing her support for the riders’ protests.
Grab Philippines has insisted that its current earning model provides the most competitive earning potential for its partners compared to other delivery platforms, but the company also stated that it remains committed to an open dialogue with delivery partners to address their concerns and work on practical solutions.
The issue of alleged illegal termination of riders’ has been brought to the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC), and Grab Philippines has stated that it is aware of the concerns raised by their delivery partners and is aiming to resolve them. The company emphasized that its new model was designed to address long-standing concerns about compensation for pick-up efforts and extended wait times while providing a guaranteed minimum fare to protect its partners’ earnings.
