The perils of being a delivery agent in the national capital

Delhi: In the early hours of a September night, 32-year-old Ramkumar was on his last delivery trip for the day to an apartment complex in East Delhi’s Harsh Vihar. What seemed like a routine task soon turned into an unsettling encounter.

As Ramkumar arrived to deliver the food, a heavily intoxicated man emerged from the house. Without warning, the man grabbed the food package from Ramkumar, shoving him to the ground. As Ramkumar struggled to regain his balance, the man disappeared inside, shutting the door behind him—without paying for the delivery, which was supposed to be cash on delivery

“I reported the incident to the company,” Ramkumar said. “I told them the man didn’t pay, and that he pushed me, causing me to fall. But the company said it was my responsibility and blamed me for losing the parcel. I felt helpless.”

A deadly job

Working as a delivery agent in the capital remains a perilous job, as incidents of accidents, assaults, and fatalities continue to rise. The dangers faced by these gig workers are becoming increasingly apparent with a series of disturbing incidents.

On October 8, a 29-year-old man was arrested for allegedly causing the death of a food delivery agent in a hit-and-run incident in southwest Delhi’s Munirka. The accused, Naveen Kumar, who owns a salon, is now facing charges following the fatal accident. The victim, a 27-year-old Zomato delivery agent, was struck by Kumar’s car while crossing the Outer Ring Road on the morning of October 7. He died on the spot.

A similarly tragic case occurred in Lucknow on October 1. Bharat Kumar, a Flipkart delivery agent, was murdered while delivering an iPhone to a customer who had opted for the cash-on-delivery payment method. According to police, the suspect killed Bharat Kumar, placed his body in a gunny sack, and dumped it in a canal in Indira Nagar. The suspect has been arrested, and authorities are working to recover the body.

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These incidents are not isolated. On August 9, a woman named Anjali shared a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter) about witnessing a Zomato delivery agent injured in a hit-and-run. The agent, riding an e-scooter, was struck by two cars. Pedestrians and fellow delivery agents rushed to help him, but attempts to reach Zomato’s emergency helpline were in vain. Anjali, who repeatedly called the company’s helpline, received no response.

Rajkumar, a 24-year-old delivery agent, shared a harrowing experience. “One of our colleagues, a 21-year-old, was involved in a serious accident while hurrying to complete a delivery. Late deliveries often result in penalties, so he was speeding and ended up crashing into a car. He broke both his hands and legs, but instead of support, his employer, a food aggregator company deducted the cost of the food from his salary,” Rajkumar said.

Another delivery agent recounted the death of a close friend who was killed in a road accident while making a midnight delivery. “A speeding car hit him, and he was declared dead upon arrival at the hospital. After his death, the company offered no support to his grieving family, leaving them without any financial assistance,” Ramkumar said.

No job security

On June 10, women gig workers at Urban Company protested outside the startup’s Bengaluru office over its new terms of employment. This protest added to the growing discontent among gig workers, especially women, who are often left without job security or proper benefits.

From April 12 to April 20, 2023, more than 2,500 Blinkit food delivery workers—part of Zomato’s network—went on strike across several cities, including Delhi NCR, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Pune. The strike was triggered by a pay cut that reduced the base payment per delivery, leaving many workers with drastically lower earnings.

The strike led to the closure of over 50 “dark stores,” where products are stored and packaged for delivery. While the protests caused a minor one per cent dip in Zomato’s corporate revenue, the company did not meet the workers’ demands for higher pay. By April 21, most delivery agents had resumed work, and the dark stores reopened.

These protests largely revolve around the demand for basic benefits like insurance, which are often denied to gig workers.

Mohammed Adil, a 28-year-old delivery agent, working for a major food delivery platform, shared his struggles. “We don’t receive any kind of benefits or insurance. Even if we get injured or worse, there’s no support. After I had an accident, I asked my team leader for help, but he said it wasn’t in his control,” Adil explained.

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He also mentioned a drop in earnings after the pandemic. “Before, I used to make around Rs 800 a day, working 12 hours daily, earning about Rs 24,000 a month. Now, it’s been reduced to Rs 500 a day, which is around Rs 15,000 a month. Complaints from customers, even for minor issues like a food spill, can result in further pay cuts. There have been months when I earned as little as Rs 9,000,” Adil said.

Another delivery agent noted that platforms have also cut reimbursements for long-distance deliveries. “Previously, we used to be paid for the return trip if we delivered to locations over seven to 12 kilometres away. After the pandemic, they stopped that. The company has also expanded our delivery radius from three kilometres to 12 kilometres. Our working hours are only counted when we have active deliveries, so if we’re waiting, those hours don’t count,” he explained.

Kapil Singh, a 23-year-old delivery agent, raised concerns about the treatment they receive at restaurants and apartment complexes. “At some restaurants, we can go in to collect orders, but many force us to wait outside. In some apartment complexes in Noida, we’re not allowed to use the elevators meant for residents and have to use the stairs instead,” Singh said.

Legal gaps

Nirmal Gorana Agni, a leader of the Gig and Service Platform Workers Union and the Mehnatkash Association, emphasised that the absence of specific laws for gig workers has left them vulnerable to exploitation by platforms.

“Gig workers are meant to be temporary, yet many are working over 12 hours a day. This essentially makes them full-time platform workers. Despite this, they are still categorised as temporary workers and are not considered part of the informal sector. The core issue is that there are no laws to protect or support these workers,” Agni explained.

Another union leader expressed cautious optimism, noting that the government’s recent moves to introduce legislation for gig workers could improve the situation.

Reportedly, the government is working to roll out certain social security benefits for gig and platform workers ahead of implementing a broader Social Security Code. This could offer much-needed protections for these workers, addressing their long standing demands for security and fair treatment.