Page 17 - Voice and representation of platform driver in VietNam

CHAPTER 2: Defining the relationship of platforms and drivers 11

As much as 87 percent of platform workers in the
This is something we have seen across the world. survey are aware of the grievance channels provided by
Supposedly the drivers are told that if they reach a platform companies. However, as reflected in interviews
target of 10 customers within a certain amount of with platform companies and drivers/riders, these
hours or days they will receive a bonus of a particular channels are intended to inform the drivers/riders about
amount, but what happens is they reach the eighth the companies’ policies rather than offering a gateway
customer easily, the ninth one takes a lot of time and for two-way dialogue and grievance-handling. Even in
then they never reach the last. the case of team leaders, the airing and documenting
of workers’ opinions is not expected. The manager of
a platform company explained: “The team leaders are
2.3. Channels for communication and grievance- experienced riders who understand our policies and
handling why we adopt these policies. Their role is to transfer
this understanding to the team members”. In other
36
The ride-hailing and delivery platforms in this
survey commonly operate four main channels for words, the team leaders’ responsibility is to persuade
communicating with and receiving grievances from the riders to accept the company’s policies rather than
their driver-partners: representing the riders’ voice.
1. Hotlines via the apps: drivers can call platforms’
support centres via the apps. The workers at these
call centres are provided with basic information
about the companies’ rules and regulations. More
complicated queries must be noted and forwarded
to other departments.

2. Facebook fanpages: these fanpages offer a forum
for drivers, but it is not necessary a support centre
as the administrators do not normally respond to
questions posted on these pages.

3. Offline gatherings: platform companies organise
periodic offline gatherings with driver-partners
and respond to their questions. In 2020, these
gatherings were organised online instead due to
the pandemic.

4. Team leaders: platforms appoint experienced
drivers to act as team leaders, each covering several
hundred drivers in a certain geographical area. The
team leaders are responsible for communicating
the platform’s policies to the members and
receiving grievances, if any, from the drivers.

36 Interview conducted by the researcher, March 2021.

Voice and representation of platform drivers in Vietnam