On 1 May, International Workers' Day, Food Panda employees from Rangoon and Mandalay held a protest against the company, alleging unfair labour conditions and wages.

Foodpanda delivery riders say they have been badly treated by the company and are showing their displeasure by drawing a black cross on the backs of their bicycle food delivery boxes.

Foodpanda has reduced the amount it pays delivery drivers for each delivery. Previously they received between 500 to 1,00 kyats ($0.27 USD to $0.54 USD) per delivery, but now they are only being offered between 300 to 400 kyats ($0.16 USD to $0.22 USD) for each delivery.

Other food delivery companies like FoodMall and GrabFood pay their delivery drivers 1,000 to 1,500 kyats ($0.54 USD to $0.81 USD) per delivery. But, Foodpanda drivers only have to deliver from restaurants that are in the same township as the customer, whereas drivers from other companies might have to make deliveries from one township to another.

Foodpanda riders submitted a seven-point request to the company detailing how their working conditions should be improved at a meeting on 16 March. Not all the points have yet been addressed.

The requests included: raising the minimum delivery fee to 670 kyats ($0.36 USD); using the Google Maps application to work out delivery distances; providing life insurance; not being strictly controlled by a computer system; having one full day off per week; making statements about policies that will affect employees one week before they are enacted, via official social media and telegram channels; and providing a hotline number for Foodpanda riders to contact the company directly.

On 20 April Foodpanda told staff that it would meet most of its demands but would not give them the wage increase they asked for or use Google Maps to calculate distances, according to a staff member who attended the 16 March meeting.

“We held the protest on International Worker’s Day because the company did not comply with all of our demands, they still haven’t met two of our demands”, said one of the 1 May protest organisers.

Previously, Foodpanda did not charge customers receiving food a fee, but now it does, but it still refuses to raise delivery riders’ wages. “Ordering rates are higher than before and the company is also charging service fees to customers, taking 30 per cent from restaurant owners and charging tax. 

Yet they still pay [delivery] riders less than 400 kyats [$0.22 USD] an order”, explained the protest organiser.

Another rider who believes Foodpanda does not care about its delivery drivers said: “Even if you die in an accident the first thing the office will ask is what happened to the customer’s order.”

Neither does Foodpanda take responsibility for any injuries delivery people might sustain while working for them or provide them with health insurance. This means that if they have an accident not only will they lose wages because they cannot work, they will also have to pay any medical bills out of their wages.

Mizzima tried to contact a Foodpanda representative to ask them about the protests, but they could not be reached.

Foodpanda is one of the biggest and most well-known food delivery services in the Asia-Pacific region. It started operating in Myanmar in December 2019. It gained popularity when the COVID - 19 pandemic hit and is the most reliable food delivery company operating in Myanmar.

Currently in Myanmar, Foodpanda operates in the regions of Yangon, Mandalay and Bago, as well as in the cities of Bagan, Mawlamyine, Pyin Oo Lwin, Taungyi, Monywa and Naypyidaw.