Swiggy Delivery Agent Highlights Challenges at Large Mall
A Swiggy delivery agent, Amritha, recently shared her struggles working at one of Asia’s largest malls, likely a Lulu mall in Kerala. Her viral video highlights the difficulties faced by food delivery personnel in navigating large shopping centers to pick up orders.
The Difficulties Faced by Delivery Agents
Amritha details the arduous process: parking remotely, using service lifts, navigating crowded food courts, and walking to specific stores, all before starting the delivery. She points out that the compensation for these tasks, a minimum of ₹25 for a 5km trip, doesn’t reflect the additional time and effort involved. These extra steps and time constraints can add significant time to each delivery, impacting overall efficiency and earnings for the delivery partners.
Amritha’s Suggestions for Improvement
Amritha suggests two key changes to improve the situation. Firstly, she proposes that mall management should facilitate order collection on lower floors, reducing the lengthy walks and wasted time. This simple adjustment could greatly benefit delivery personnel and streamline the entire process. Secondly, she advocates for increased compensation from Swiggy for deliveries originating from such challenging locations. This would fairly recognize the increased difficulty and time commitment required to complete these pick-ups. This would ensure that the workers are appropriately compensated for their efforts and the extra time spent fulfilling these orders.
A Broader Issue in Food Delivery
Amritha’s experience resonates with similar concerns raised by other delivery agents. In the past, concerns regarding the treatment of delivery personnel at malls have highlighted the often challenging working conditions and difficulties faced. This video brought attention to the infrastructural challenges faced by delivery personnel within malls, specifically the inefficiencies of the current order pickup systems. The additional time spent on these processes reduces the amount of deliveries a worker can complete in a day, directly affecting their earning potential. The lack of compensation for this extra effort is a serious concern that needs immediate attention.
The Need for Systemic Change
The issues highlighted by Amritha emphasize the need for better cooperation between food delivery platforms, mall managements, and delivery agents themselves to create a more efficient and equitable system. Clear communication, policy adjustments, and a focus on improved infrastructure can create a more supportive environment for those who work tirelessly to deliver our meals. This highlights the need for systemic change to improve working conditions and provide fair compensation. Finding solutions that balance customer convenience with the needs of delivery personnel is key to creating a sustainable and fair system.
The Ongoing Debate
The ongoing discussion surrounding fair compensation and working conditions for delivery agents continues to gain traction, emphasizing the need for platforms and businesses to take responsibility for providing a supportive and respectful work environment. This ongoing debate and attention to worker conditions highlight a need for broader systemic change across the gig economy.
