Sorsogon Governor Chiz Escudero said the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) should enforce existing labor laws that are applicable to protect delivery riders, as he urged the agency to craft the guidelines that would set the standards for the compensation, commission and employment benefits of freelance drivers of online delivery platforms.
With the rise in the number of delivery riders, many of them part-timers and are considered as “independent contractors,” it is necessary to look into their working conditions so they would not be deprived of employment benefits and occupational safety and health standards, according to the veteran senator.
“The riders made our lives easier, especially during the different stages of community quarantines when the pandemic hit the country early last year. Huwag natin silang kalimutan at marapat lang na maibigay sa kanila kung ano ang naaayon sa batas,” Escudero pointed out.
“We should also protect them from unfair labor practices and make sure that erring employers are penalized,” he added. “The faster we can come up with the guidelines, the better it will be for all parties concerned, lalung-lalo na ang ating mga riders.”
The lockdown brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many Filipinos to rely heavily on the services of delivery riders, and those who lost their jobs found a “silver lining” as “freelancers” in this new and growing segment of the workforce to augment their income.
The crafting of the guidelines, however, may prove to be challenging for the DOLE, owing to a unique labor relation involving four parties, namely, the delivery app, the vendors, the riders and the customers, unlike the ordinary employer-employee relationship, according to the department.
Escudero said the DOLE should also make sure that these riders, if fully employed, are receiving at least minimum wage and other privileges such as holiday pay, premium pay, overtime pay and contributions to Social Security System (SSS), Philhealth and Pag-IBIG, among other benefits under the Labor Code.
“Ngunit paano naman ‘yung part-timers lang, yung mga pansalamantalang delivery riders na kumikita dahil sa raket na ito dahil nawalan ng trabaho? Dapat ayusin ang compensation nila dahil iba-iba rin ang bayad sa kanila ng mga online delivery companies at mas maganda na kung magkaroon ng standard sa commission nila sa minimum delivery charge at sa dagdag na kita nila bawat karagdagang kilometrahe,” Escudero pointed out.
He added: “Malaking bahagi po ng pag-usad ng ekonomiya ng bansa sa gitna ng pandemya ang naging papel ng mga riders in partnership with delivery apps. Gumalaw ang maraming produkto sa tulong nila habang naka-lockdown ang maraming lugar—groceries man yan, school and office supplies, mga dokumentong kailangan pirmahan, disinfecting materials, o kahit ‘yong paboritong cake at pizza mo,” he added.