Blinkit, an application owned by food delivery giant Zomato, has faced glitches in its services in the Delhi NCR region. Several users have reported that the application is showing as ‘temporarily unavailable’. The reason behind this issue is a rift between Blinkit and its delivery partners, who are protesting against the company’s decision to lower the payout on delivery.
According to a report by the Economic Times, Blinkit has reduced the payout from Rs. 25 to Rs. 15 per delivery, leading to opposition from the delivery partners. Over 100 cloud kitchens in regions such as Faridabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram have shut down due to the protests.
Blinkit was bought by Zomato in 2022, with its ability to deliver items in just 10 minutes being one of its major attractions. However, this latest development has raised questions about the treatment of delivery partners in such companies.
The protests, which initially started offline, have now garnered reactions from online portals, with several individuals and workers’ unions coming out in support of the Blinkit delivery partners.
100s Of Blinkit Riders Meet Gurugram Labour Commissioner, Demand Minimum INR 25 Per Order#Blinkit
— Nitin Sethi (@nitinsethi80) April 17, 2023
We stand in solidarity with Blinkit workers of Delhi-NCR who are on strike against the new arbitrary pay structure.
The new pay structure needs to be revoked immediately & any change in the pay structure must be done in active consultation with workers!#blinkitstrike pic.twitter.com/iWtLSZAvm2
— App Karmchari Ekta Union (@ake_union) April 14, 2023
BlinkIt / Zepto – problem is not ₹15 for delivery against ₹50. Problem is 10Min delivery has no economics – low ticket size and low margin can never be solved through forced low delivery cost. BlinkIt journey : 90 Min (bull run) —> Next day (bear run) —> 10 Min (bull run) —> ??
— Ashneer Grover (@Ashneer_Grover) April 16, 2023
This is not the first time that Blinkit has been at the center of protests. When the company launched an ad highlighting its ability to deliver items in 10 minutes, it drew criticism from several quarters, with people questioning the treatment of delivery partners in such companies.
As of now, it is unclear when Blinkit’s services will be restored, as the company continues to negotiate with its delivery partners to resolve the issue.
