Hindi naniniwala ang Kapatiran sa Dalawang Gulong (Kagulong), isang motorcycle riders’ rights group, na isang “technical glitch" ang ipinataw na 10-year suspension sa mga FoodPanda riders.
Matatandaang nanawagan kamakailan ang Kagulong sa Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) na imbestigahan ang diumano'y harassment at intimidation na naranasan ng mga riders sa Davao City.
Nasa 30 riders ang unang batch ng nasuspinde for 10 years sa kanilang trabaho matapos nilang mag-offline sa loob ng dalawang araw bilang protesta laban sa “pay cut” na ipinatupad raw ng kumpanya.
Marami ang nag-rally bilang reaksiyon sa pagkakasuspinde ng 30 riders, at 70 sa mga nag-rally ay sinuspinde rin for 10 years.
Bahagi ng mahabang post ng Kagulong sa Facebook page nito kanina, July 23, 2021, ang pahayag ni Don Pangan, ang secretary-general ng grupo.
Ani Pangan, “Technical glitch is a lame excuse for Foodpanda’s corporate abuse. Foodpanda is trying to hide its anti-worker misbehavior behind digital technology.
“This modus operandi is no different from Foodpanda disguising its employment relationship to riders using the platform nature of work as an alibi.”
Noong July 21, 2021 ay sinabi ni Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III na naayos na ang problema sa pagitan ng kumpanya at ng mga riders.
“A dialogue between the parties was already held. Undersecretary for Labor Relations Benjo Benavidez talked with them. Wala na pong problema,” pahayag ni Bello sa ginanap na Laging Handa briefing.
Gayunpaman, sinabi niyang 36 riders pa lang ang makakabalik sa trabaho.
Magkakaroon pa aniya ng panibagong pag-uusap ang dalawang panig sa local DOLE office.
Inamin aniya ng FoodPanda na nagkaroon ng glitch sa kanilang communication line.
Ayon pa sa kalihim, "It's a technical difficulty and it was already fixed. There is no more 10-year-suspension."
Binatikos naman ng Kagulong ang pahayag ni Bello.
Paliwanag ni Pangan, “As the third party in the tripartite industrial relationship, the DOLE should show non-partisanship.
“If at all, the DOLE should be biased for workers as the Labor Code provides that in cases of ambiguity, labor should be favored in the interpretation.”
Giit pa niya, “In fact, in this case, there is really no ambiguity as suspending workers for 10 years is a flagrant violation of the Labor Code.
“Workers can only be suspended for a maximum of 30 days and for actual administrative cases. Workers cannot be penalized for planning a protest that has not yet happened!”
Ipinaalala rin ng rider group sa DOLE na dapat nitong tuparin ang naunang commitment na magbuo ng technical working group (TWG) na kinabibilangan ng rider organizations, labor unions, at iba pang concerned government agencies para mag-draft ng policy standards para sa motorcycle taxi and delivery riders.
Sinabi rin ng Kagulong na dapat tratuhin ang delivery riders nang mas maayos dahil nagsisilbi silang frontliners ngayong may pandemic.
Giit ng grupo, "They deserved to be treated as heroes and not as slaves of the apps."