Swiggy, Zomato Helping Delivery Workforce Stay Safe During Lockdown
With over half of Indian States under lockdown and cities under curfew, the worst hit are the daily wage earners and the Gig economy. As per some reports, almost 80 per cent of India’s workers are working in the informal/Gig economy.
Startups are going an extra mile for there partners which employ most of these gig workers. Swiggy, the online food aggregator has already implemented a ‘No-Contact Delivery’ wherein unwell customers can opt for no-contact delivery service through their Swiggy application. The company is also bearing the medical expense of its delivery partner’s family along with a free on-call medical consultation.
Zomato, another giant in the online food-aggregator industry aims to ensure that everyone is aware, calm and focused on their well-being, says its spokesperson. It is broadcasting messages to its drivers about the best practices recommended by WHO. Ola, the ride-sharing giant, has also trained its drivers about the latest guidelines to be followed by the Ministry of Health and Family Affairs. Amazon India, the e-commerce giant has paused entry of visitors into its fulfillment centers along with more cleanliness at all its operational sites. To safeguard its employees, Amazon India has provided two weeks of paid leave in addition to its delivery teams available leave balance.
To support the gig workers of the country, Anil Agarwal, Executive Chairman, Vedanta Resources has committed Rs 100 crore for the daily wage earners to fight the pandemic, he said in a tweet. As per recent data, the gig economy hasn’t seen much of layoffs as of now. However, if the lockdown persists, there is a chance of the jobs of the gig workers getting affected.
