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Joshua Kwok

Oscar Liu

More than 100 riders from major food delivery platform Keeta staged protests in two busy parts of Hong Kong on Thursday to demand better and fairer wages, as some said their daily pay had dropped by about 35 per cent since last month.
Couriers took to the streets to voice their concerns for the third time this month, gathering in Hung Hom and Central after smaller-scale strikes took place in Tsuen Wan and Mei Foo in recent weeks.
“The lowest pay for a single order could be HK$5 [60 US cents], even if we are on bikes,” Raja Kashif Ali Khan, 24, said.
He also complained about a lack of support for riders who got into accidents.
“What happens to us is on us,” he said.
Keeta said on Thursday that the riders’ claims that the service fee was as low as HK$5 were a misunderstanding of the amount displayed on the order page.
“In certain delivery models, only additional dynamic incentive subsidies are shown, and the total service fee is calculated by adding the base service fee once the order is completed,” a spokesman said.
“Keeta clarifies that no order currently has a service fee total of HK$5.”
A group of seven to eight drivers gathered under the footbridge at Gage Street around noon. Another group of four to five drivers with protest placards placed on their windscreens drove in the area around Lyndhurst Terrace around the same time.
During lunchtime, about two dozen Keeta riders drove in unison past Lyndhurst Terrace a few times.
“We are striking and nobody is delivering here in Central today,” one of the drivers said as he asked other Keeta couriers to join the strike.
The riders demanded six changes from Keeta, including being paid according to actual distance travelled, cancelling its first-come-first-get order system and abolishing an arrangement of riders taking more orders but with smaller pay.

Those under the footbridge drove off an hour after the protest began.
Another group of 20 riders gathered at Kau U Fong in Sheung Wan in the afternoon, with couriers lamenting that their pay per order had dropped from an average of HK$50 to HK$28 regardless of the actual delivery distance since Deliveroo left the local market in April.
Keeta and Foodpanda are the only two food delivery platforms in Hong Kong.
Keeta’s calculation of pay for each order is according to the aerial distance, a straight-line distance between two points, ignoring any obstacles or changes in terrain on the surface, according to riders.
“It only makes sense if Keeta calculates the delivery pay by the actual distance, according to Google Maps. Delivering food from Central to The Peak or to Wan Chai could involve very different distances, but the pay is currently the same,” rider Ahmad Ali, 26, said.
“Ever since the pay per ride dropped, my income dropped almost 35 per cent. I used to be able to make HK$1,300 a day. Now my daily income is about HK$800.”
Another courier, who only identified himself as Shahid, 28, said the “KGO” scheme, which encourages drivers to accept longer-distance orders with lower pay on a first-come, first-served basis, was not only cutting drivers’ income but also risking their safety.
“Under this programme, riders are driven to accept orders at lower pay on a first-come, first-served basis. This forces us to monitor our phones and try to secure orders while driving, which is extremely dangerous. I’ve personally been involved in several accidents as a result,” he said.
“People involved are willing to take deliveries even from Central to Quarry Bay for the incredibly low price of HK$28. This means there are hardly any regular or well-paying orders left for the rest of us. We have cutthroat competition among ourselves. This unfair scheme needs to be abolished.”
The striking riders also demanded the company randomly conduct a 3D scan, similar to Foodpanda’s practice, three times a day to ensure the identity of the riders, as the current facial recognition system could be fooled by scanning a picture.
They also sought stable pay during peak hours and a personalised written contract to protect their work safety, adding that their current contracts were for self-employment and lacked individual names.
Keeta said it calculated order distance using map navigation rather than aerial distance. Rider rewards and service fees are based on factors such as active service time, delivery distance, difficulty and market demand.
“The income that riders earn per order comprises several components, including a base service fee, service fee subsidies, tips from users and punctuality rewards. Focusing solely on the base service fee does not thoroughly reflect the total income of riders,” the spokesman said.


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Keeta riders stage third strike in Hong Kong over pay, work conditions

Riders from major food delivery platform Keeta gathered for a protest in Central on Thursday noon. Photo: Dickson Lee

A rider holds up a list of strike demands during a protest in Central. Photo: Sam Tsang

Keeta riders in Hong Kong strike over pay reduction and no peak hour subsidies

Keeta delivery workers in Tsuen Wan stage a protest to demand fairer wages. Photo: Facebook/Keeta Food Delivery Platform Concern Group

Hong Kong’s food delivery sector has experienced significant changes over the past decade. Photo: May Tse

It’s last orders at Deliveroo Hong Kong. What about the rest of the industry?

Deliveroo, Foodpanda and Keeta have been competition to carve up the food delivery market in Hong Kong. Photo: Eugene Lee

Food delivery platforms generally rely on several revenue streams, with the main one being a commission from restaurants that ranged from 25 to 35 per cent. Photo: Nora Tam

Deliveroo’s departure has prompted concerns that Foodpanda and Keeta may leverage their market dominance amid the diminished competition. Photo: Eugene Lee

Cutthroat competition: will Deliveroo Hong Kong closure affect food delivery riders?

A Deliveroo food delivery rider. Deliveroo Hong Kong will end services on April 7. Photo: May Tse

Deliveroo Hong Kong has called on its riders to join Foodpanda. Photo: Sam Tsang

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Hong Kong

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Hong Kong Economy

More than 100 riders gather in busy areas of Hung Hom and Central, following smaller-scale protests in Tsuen Wan and Mei Foo earlier this month


More than 100 riders gather in busy areas of Hung Hom and Central, following smaller-scale protests in Tsuen Wan and Mei Foo earlier this month.
