Page 20 - Voice and representation of platform driver in VietNam

14 CHAPTER 3: Loyalty, exit or voice? Platform workers’ organising strategies

Number of
Time of
No. Platform drivers on Causes of strikes Outcomes
strike
strike
The profit-sharing formula is set high.
The new bonus system makes it harder
Figure 9: How does the platform company respond
9 17-08-2020 Be A hundred for riders to reach a bonus point. For No change
to your queries/grievances? (n=277)
instance: a rider must finish 40 trips to
reach the highest bonus point.
40.00 37.55
35.00 Decree 126/2020/ND-CP on VAT for
technology-based transportation
30.00
10 Grab in 25.00 companies (3-10 percent). Grab
22.38
increased prices by 6 percent, resulting
No change
& 7-9/12/2020 Hanoi and A few thousands 20.00 in higher extraction rates for drivers 18.41 18.05
11 HCMC
15.00 (28.3 to 32.8 percent) and riders (23.6
to 28.3 percent) leaving the remaining
10.00
burden on drivers/riders.
5.00 3.61
0.00 Be stopped the
No response Only respond upon Threats to drivers Immediate and Unsatisfactory
new bonus response
who voice up
collective actions
11- Be reduced the bonus rate by 30 thorough
programme and
12 Be Hanoi A few hundreds response
13/12/2020 percent without informing its riders.
adopted the
previous one.
In Vietnam, since 2014, there have been reportedly 13 Figure 10: How do you define your relationship with other
strikes by ride-hailing and delivery platform workers platform drivers? (%)
(see Table 1). However, although the collective actions Figure 10: How do you define your relationship with other platform drivers? (%)
can force platform companies to hold serious dialogues 80.00 69.58 75.49 71.27
with the drivers/riders, they were not effective in 70.00 61.13
helping workers to improve their working conditions. 60.00
Among the 13 reported strikes between 2016 and 50.00
40.00
2020, in only three cases (or 23 percent of the strikes) 30.00
did the platforms concede and meet the requests of the 20.00
drivers/riders. 10.00
0.00
Independent Colleagues In the same boat, Shared interests, need
3.2. Building labour agency supportive of one to unite
another
The most important difference between workers in the
gig economy and those in the traditional sectors is their The foundation for any labour network is the workers’
isolation from other co-workers. Each has their own perception of shared interests (Herod 2001). The
routes and works on different hours. While bike riders surveyed drivers/riders have mixed perceptions of their
can socialise when they gather around a pick-up area, relationships with other co-workers. While nearly 70
car-drivers rarely meet up physically with other drivers. In percent of drivers/riders believed they were independent
traditional sectors, Vietnamese workers have managed of one another, like freelancers, as much as 71 percent
to stage collective actions because they can mobilise found they were in the same position and thus, should
via networks built based on their employment, origins, support one another. More importantly, 61.1 percent
gender, community and identity of class (Tran 2014; of platform drivers felt they shared the same interests
Clarke et al. 2007). This survey found that platform and thus, should unite to protect their own rights and
drivers and riders have also built their own networks, interests (Figure 10).
mostly online, to mobilise for collective action.
As they work on digital platforms, 74.8 percent of
drivers use online forums (on social media) to build their
networks. There are hundreds of social media groups
set up by drivers independently with membership
ranging from a few dozen to tens of thousands. The
groups are established either based on geographical

Voice and representation of platform drivers in Vietnam