In the scorching sun, Sunny Waseem* frequently spotted riding his bicycle through Hong Kong visitors while carrying a food delivery bag.
But, what goes unnoticed is the rush to finish an order on time with a sweating, headache, yearning, and anxiety.
The 38-year-old supply horse regularly works more than 12 hours per day, taking care of back-to-back orders during the hectic lunch hour.
” We work most days in the very popular wind.” The full-time horse, who has six years of experience, said,” I feel exhausted, boost in sweat, and have little breath,” so it really affects me.
Waseem claimed that to relieve problems brought on by the heat, he had to get medications some days a week.
He claimed that the food delivery service platform did drop him with its techniques, which may result in a decrease in his money, so he felt he could not afford to take breaks in the color.
Over 80 % of delivery workers from ethnic minority backgrounds reported having heat-related symptoms while at work, according to a new Greenpeace study.
Outside staff were the hardest hit because they had no choice but to continue doing tedious work, according to Tom Ng Hon-lam, the advocate for the green group.
More than 70 % of the survey respondents reported working in these extreme conditions, with more than 70 % reporting a rise in orders during hot, rainy days and thunderstorms.
A new three-tier reminder system was introduced by the government in 2023 to lower the risk of heatstroke in outside employees. In order to make the system more usable for both employers and employees, the instructions on heatstroke prevention were updated next year.
The organization’s members hoped that the government would take into account putting together individual guidelines especially addressing the requirements of delivery workers.
There are roughly 13, 000 meals program supply workers in the area, according to the Census and Statistics Department’s most recent statement.
Users and riders fall under various classifications. According to Waseem, the top-tier workers are those who meet specific supply deadlines and refuse to accept incomplete orders.
He explained that the “batch one” employees had a choice in the choice of swings based on the most detailed instructions.
He claimed that if I take a 15-minute tear because I’m worried that I might experience a sunstroke, I will be unable to operate for Foodpanda for the entire week.
” They will simply calculate how many hours I was off the change, and that will change my batch,” I said.
When Waseem was demoted from batch one to tier two or three, his daily earnings dropped from HK$ 1,200 ( RM667 or US$ 14 ) to around HK$ 800 ( RM444 ).
Waseem then works for Foodpanda and Keeta, which he described as “notorious” for penalizing users who did not meet their standards, following Deliveroo’s subsequent departure from Hong Kong.
Waseem then dared to avoid falls and run the risk of being downgraded. He claimed to have prepared a large water bottle and drank proton provide beverages to keep hydrated.
Riders ‘ Rights Concern Group member Mak Tak-ching noted that while some outdoor cleaning and protection guards were given products by the companies to keep cool in warm weather, riders had to fend for themselves.
He also advocated for more long-term, recognized users ‘ right through proper employee recognition.
Greenpeace urged the websites to take users ‘ needs into account, including setting up rest areas with free water dispensers throughout the city, as well as providing heat protection clothing, portable fans, and other options.
Foodpanda stated on Wednesday that it has never required couriers to deliver purchases within a set time frame.
The company stated that” Riders have the option to accept or complete on any of the dispatched commands,” and that they are free to take breaks while working a change, both at the office and at any location.
The system explained that the division’s “determined by an aggregate of different functionality components,” which meant passing on orders or taking breaks “may or may not change a courier’s entire batch number.”
Keeta stated that it would be happy to provide users with raincoats and ocean jackets in exchange for accommodating their schedules.
Our best interests are our riders ‘ protection and well-being, and we encourage them to prioritize their well-being and taking breaks as needed, according to Keeta. South China Morning Post