Bangalore based e-grocer Bigbasket slammed for subjecting its delivery boys to inhumane working conditions

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Bigbasket has come under extreme scrutiny for the inhumane conditions it subjects its delivery boys to.

Bigbasket delivery boys can be seen carrying heavy bags in the scorching heat, racing to deliver packages from one location to another.

In a statement ,Bigbasket executives said that the company is working hard each day to make the working conditions of their employees better

As the online delivery sector in India booms, the volume of deliveriesmade by e-commerce websites has increased staggeringly. The e-commerce sector is India is racing ahead to become one of  theworld’s largest digital markets. However, in all this hustle bustle, many large companies like Bigbasket have come under extreme scrutiny for the inhumane conditions it subjects its delivery boys to.

Delivery agents are at the heart of any e-commerce company. To be successful, it is highly important to have good logistics. However, it has been claimed that Bigbasket cares very little for these personals. Bigbasket delivery boys can be seen carrying heavy bags in the scorching heat racing to deliver packages from one location to another. They are the worst hit due to the sheer number of deliveries they need to make. These working conditions are inhumane and no one should be subjected to these.

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The e-grocer had recently faced heavy criticism when a Facebook post highlighting these working conditions surfaced. A user named Saurabh Trivedi took to the social networking site to share pictures of the plight that delivery agents working for Bigbasket go through. In the post, the delivery agent can be seen literally bending due to the weight of the delivery bag while the temperatures outside reached 43 degrees.

When Trivedi questioned the delivery boy, he said that the number of orders he delivers decides his income. He further added that Bigbasket isn’t concerned about the hardships that they face. Further, the ministry of labour was also tagged in the post, urging them to take action against Bigbasket as it allegedly treats its employees like animals. People have urged the government to regulate specific rules so as to improve the conditions of these delivery agents.

Bigbasket executives responded to this controversy by clarifying that their delivery agents are only allowed to carry 15 kgs which further raised outrage in the public. Bigbasket further claimed that when the weight of a particular order exceeds 15 kgs, the order is delivered by two separate agents. However, since the company uses route optimization software to assign orders to their agents, mishaps are bound to happen. This sometimes leads to the assignment of more than 15 kgs. This, however, is picked up during their audit process and stringent action is taken against these mistakes.

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Also they specified that bags instead of crates are used by Bigbasket because while crates help minimise the damage to a particular order, they end up making the life for the delivery boys much harder. The e-grocer also added that their innovation team lead by PrafulThachery is working to create new design modifications that would eliminate the need for carrying bags by the delivery agents. They would soon start packing orders in 2-3 easy to carry bags instead of one big one.

The online grocery website also stated that the company is very much concerned about the well-being of all their employees including the delivery agents. They have been operating a trust for their workers because of the same. Via this trust, Bigbasket provides monetary benefits such as money for education to the worker’s family members and health/life/term insurance at zero cost. They also added that Bigbasket is working hard each day to make the working conditions of their employees better.However, the critics of the company remain sceptical if they are doing enough for the same.

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