Delivery executives of Blinkit in both Delhi and Mumbai staged protests over the last weekend, as per a report by Inc42.
Delivery services were halted in areas of South Delhi, including Govindpuri, Kalkaji, and Chittaranjan Park. The strike was held by the delivery partner because of a change in payout structure by Blinkit for the delivery executives, according to the report. It further adds that the strikes and protests led to a disruption of services for almost three hours.
Following it, Blinkit blocked the IDs of at least thirty delivery executives. However, the report says that once the protests cooled down, the IDs of the delivery executives were unblocked.
Previously, Blinkit used to pay Rs 50 for weekends and around Rs 25–30 for deliveries to the delivery partners, as per the report. However, since the last month, Blinkit clubbed Saturday within the weekday structure which leads to a low income, as per a delivery executives who spoke To Inc42.
In response to the worries expressed by these delivery executives, Blinkit increased its rewards on Sunday and Monday. The increased rewards matched what the business pays out during what are known as "surge hours," which are primarily limited to times when orders are at their peak. Many social media posts implied the strikes were happening throughout Mumbai and South Delhi.
Read: Blinkit is on a Dream Run. Big Ecommerce can End it
The strike goes on
This is not the first time there have been strikes by delivery executives on Blinkit. In April last year, Blinkit workers went on strike against the revised pay structure. Following this, Blinkit services were interrupted in Delhi-NCR. The All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) affiliate App Karmchari Ekta Union and the Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers both took part in the walkout.
Interestingly, in the recent Q4 results, Blinkit turned adjusted EBITDA positive in March. The company is also planning to expand rapidly and aims to have 1,000 stores by March 2025.
