‘Blackout’: Food delivery riders gather at service provider’s HQ in protest

PETALING JAYA: As convoys of food delivery riders braved the rain to gather at the Grab Malaysia headquarters, Malaysians online have started to follow the topic of their proposed “blackout” day with interest.

Live footage from the scene showed some members of the media being ushered from the premises.

ALSO READ: Grab Malaysia: No reduction in fares for GrabFood riders

Dozens of riders have gathered despite the adverse weather and have started to voice their concerns volubly.

The #Grab keyword appears to be trending locally with Twitter noting that over 124,000 tweets were issued containing the term.

ALSO READ: Don't gig up on us, baby: P-hailing riders want full worker rights and benefits

A search for “mogok” (strike) also revealed discussions centred on the issue.

Some users, like @harleenahashim1 and @QillZafran, said they had no problem getting their orders, with deliveries being speedy and unproblematic.

ALSO READ: As the cost of living goes up, food delivery riders plan strike for Aug 5

At the gathering, a spokesman, Mohd Firdaus Abdul Hamid, thanked the media for highlighting their woes, and said a memorandum was passed to Grab’s management.

Among their demands were to re-evaluate the fares paid depending on the distance of the delivery, to bring back bonuses, and to allow riders to cancel orders without being suspended.

They also asked for the abolition of the cash system as many riders “suffered due to prank orders”.

Many took to Twitter to ask if a strike was even taking place, with some saying a one-day action was not effective enough to press for the desired improvements.

Others such as @syafiqahbakrii said they could not get their orders from food delivery platforms.

On Facebook, several delivery rider groups discussed the issue, with mixed views all around.

Some derided others for not participating in the planned strike, while others defended those who continued working, as they may have mouths to feed and other commitments.

Across all groups, certain commenters also took on a mocking tone, stating that the strike would help them to “cedok” (scoop) more orders from the available pool of requests.

On social media, some Malaysians urged their fellow consumers to support the strike and not make any orders on “blackout" day.

Others pointed out that this was not the first time such strikes had occurred.