A user who reached out to a smartphone to order meals and dispatches using the app "Grab" earlier this month when a heat wave struck northern and central Vietnam , I noticed a notice that an additional charge will be incurred.
The additional charge will be applied when the local temperature reaches 35 degrees Celsius. Grab, which operates services in Southeast Asian countries, introduced an additional charge for rainy weather in Vietnam a few months ago.
A spokeswoman for Grab told the Thomson Reuters Foundation that "in bad weather, the work of our drivers and delivery partners can be tough, and we want to be rewarded for it." Said.
In Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, if you ask for a motorcycle taxi dispatch or food / food delivery via "Grab", an additional charge of 5,000 dong (about 30 yen) will be incurred in the heat of the heat and rain. An additional 3000 dong will be added to the "Urgent" service.
Nguyen Chuan, who works in Ho Chi Minh City as a "grab" contract driver, says the extra charge is motivating for himself and his fellow drivers. Because they have to work regardless of the weather.
"If you don't work, you can't eat. It's a daily life," says Chuan San, who works as a food delivery and motorcycle taxi driver.
Platform companies that provide food delivery and vehicle dispatch services are being scrutinized for emitting greenhouse gases related to traffic congestion and packaging.
However, there is little debate about how deliverymen and drivers deal with extreme weather events. They work long hours while waiting for orders while waiting on the roadside or in front of restaurants, and often do not have sufficient access to medical care.
With climate change causing more severe heat waves and floods around the world, these issues are finally beginning to attract public attention. The impact of climate change on health has become a problem for the most vulnerable people in the working population.
It is estimated that there are more than 7.5 million "gig workers" in India who undertake one-off jobs. In April and May, repeated heat waves hit temperatures of 45-50 degrees Celsius in some areas.
In May, a series of tweets posted by Parizad Barrierunwara, who lives in Mumbai, became a hot topic. The reason for the delay in delivery of the meal she ordered was that her deliveryman was walking from the restaurant to her home.
Numerous comments were received on the series of posts, and one user wrote that he stopped ordering on "Swiggy" when he learned that the deliveryman had cycled at least five kilometers to his home in the middle of the day. There is.
We asked "Swiggy" for comment, but did not get an answer.
"Indian gig workers are not given any protection because they are not recognized as workers and are not subject to occupational health and safety regulations," said Ricta Krishnaswami, head of the All Indian Gig Workers Union.
According to him, several sites add extra charges in rainy weather, but rather because of increased demand, and few companies offer such consideration in hot weather.
Zomato, which also offers a similar service in India, processed almost one-fifth of its food delivery by bicycle in the fiscal year ending March 2022. This is data from the company's ESG report.
A Zomato spokeswoman said he paid additional fees to deliverers in the rain and shortened delivery distances.
In addition, according to a spokeswoman, during the recent heat wave, Zomato set up breaks in several cities, allowing delivery personnel to rest between deliveries and free cold drinks.
Demand for gigwork has increased sharply due to the recent development of electronic commerce and the "platformization of labor", which is positive that it contributes to the expansion of freedom and flexibility for both companies and workers. There is also a claim. Korona-ka further exacerbated such demand.
But from a critical standpoint, gigwork exploits workers who have few other options, and because gigworkers in poor countries are treated almost as temporary workers, the hard-earned workers It has been pointed out that rights have been compromised.
In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where summer temperatures can reach 45 degrees Celsius, the afternoon from June 15 to September 15 to protect workers from the "risk of exposure to high temperatures". It is compulsory to take a break from 12:30 to 3:00. However, delivery personnel are not subject to this rule.
If a worker must work during this time, the employer is obliged to provide cold drinking water, first aid kits, air conditioning equipment and a rest area to block sunlight.
Similarly in India, several states have introduced "hot weather plans" to recommend minimizing outdoor activity during the hottest hours of the day, but not for gig workers.
Jaya Dohindau, program director for urban development, planning and resilience at think tank WRI India, said the heat can have a negative impact on health and increase the risk of injury and loss of concentration. ..
In Vietnam, a group on Facebook of "grab" contract drivers working in Ho Chi Minh City has more than 51,000 members and has received numerous comments on the extra heat heat.
A member's post received over 300 likes and over 100 comments. Of the 5,000 dong surcharge, the driver will only receive 3,600 dong, and the "grab" itself will take the rest "just sit down without doing anything".
Tan Gian, a "grab" user in southern Vietnam, says he will be happy to pay an extra fee if the driver gets the full amount.
"Because they are the ones who sweat and tear, we support the extra charge as a customer."
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