Talks between Foodpanda Hong Kong, couriers over minimum pay hit impasse after 3 hours

Talks between Foodpanda, one of the leading food delivery platforms in Hong Kong, and its couriers on setting a standard base pay were in a “tense stalemate” after three hours on Tuesday evening.

The two sides sat down to negotiate after hundreds of disgruntled delivery workers went on strike on Saturday and Sunday to protest against pay cuts.

Strike organisers compiled a list of 15 demands ranging from a minimum order fee to setting a time limit for picking up deliveries to give to company officials at the meeting.

Their top demand was for Foodpanda to pay HK$50 for each order delivered by a rider and HK$30 for those delivered on foot, but instead the company offered a bonus incentive, the couriers said.

Boxson Cheng, one of the riders who took part in the negotiations, said talks had reached a stalemate and the atmosphere was tense.

“The company came up with a reward-based scheme as an incentive to cover up the decrease in the minimum pay per order,” Cheng said.