[imagesource:kasihustlers/facebook]

Although it has made the lives of millions of people considerably easier, have you ever thought about what it’s like to be a Sixty60 rider, or how much they make?

Figuring out what risking your life on one of those 125ccs is worth is a little more tricky than you realise.

In recent months, several complaints and claims have appeared regarding the abuse of these delivery men and women. One of the most common concerns is that they are not treated as employees and are frequently poorly underpaid.

According to Checkers, “Drivers are independent contractors; drivers receive a fee based on their contractual agreement to render a service and are therefore not salaried employees.”

According to TopAuto, these delivery drivers are classified as “independent contractors” rather than permanent employees of the firm, and on average, they earn roughly R7,600 per month, before expenses are taken into account.

Checkers outsources all of the delivery platform’s logistics to its partner Pingo, which is a joint venture between Shoprite and RTT Logistics.

Democratic Alliance MP and attorney Michael Bagraim, has called the supermarket out for this practice, saying it promotes risky behaviour as drivers are pressured to be on the road as much as possible. “It forces the purported employees to take as many trips as possible, putting their lives in danger,” he told GroundUp.

“They get no benefits whatsoever and they have no protection of our labour law.”

MyBroadband was recently approached by a former Sixty60 operator who discussed their experiences on the platform and how they were compensated.

The individual, who has been kept anonymous worked at a Checkers in Mossel Bay from September 2022 until February 2024, when they were reportedly fired for raising challenges encountered by members of their delivery crew.

One of the most significant issues they encountered was when Pingo made an unexpected adjustment to their payments, reducing the R350 minimum daily charge that drivers would get regardless of how many trips they performed.

The anonymous former employee noted that the usual monthly salary of R7,600 includes the R350 daily charge, but noted that riders are purportedly responsible for their own petrol and bike rental prices.

“The fuel costs amounted to R3,200 per month, and the bike rental was R400 per week, leaving you with R2,800 in net monthly earnings.”

Under the new system, a driver would need to make at least 13 deliveries to earn R30 to R35 per trip. If this quota was not met, they did not receive a minimum fee.

Drivers have also voiced their concern regarding Pingo’s work hours, which are allegedly changed on short notice. Pingo also allegedly announced an adjustment to their working schedule, and riders were now expected to work from 07h00 to 19h30.

If operators refused to start accepting orders early in the morning, there was a high risk of being blocked from the app.

While super convenient for shoppers, it’s worth thinking about how much these guys risk for a relatively small income. Maybe next time add a bigger tip?

[source:topauto&jacarandafm]