Hyderabad: Taking feedback of its delivery partners into account, food delivery company Swiggy on Wednesday launched new gear for its delivery partners keeping in mind “safety and comfort” as its top priority with the new “enhanced designs”.
Swiggy launched new T-shirts for their delivery partners keeping in mind the practical challenges they face such as long working hours, low night visibility, sunburn while on duty, said a press release.
The new orange full sleeve t-shirts come with a dry-fit mesh fabric which provide 100% breathability in all weather conditions, stated Swiggy. Its team also incorporated reflectors on the t-shirt design keeping the safety of its delivery partners in mind, especially during low visibility time.
“While the orange colour offers extra comfort in the summer, the full sleeves protect the skin from the harsh sun and chilly nights too,” said Swiggy, in its announcement.
However, the new clothes for its delivery partners have not exactly been received with gusto. When contacted, Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union founder state president Shaik Salauddin said, “The new gear is drawing unwarranted attention from the public, as delivery partners face all kinds of comments from people. Swiggy should have kept in mind that the colour orange (saffron) comes with political connotations. This has caused a lot of mental distress to the delivery partners in Hyderabad,”
Shaik Salauddin added that keeping in mind the Ganga-Jamuna culture in India, Swiggy should make sure that their delivery Workers don’t face any issue. Delivery workers, who did not want to be quoted, said they face comments from public such as ‘Swiggy bhi Jai Shri Ram bolne laga’ (Swiggy is also now saying Jai Shree Ram).
Shaik Salauddin urges Swiggy to tailor its delivery workers uniform to represent the inclusivity of their organisation and redesign the current dresses to accommodate the camaraderie of Hyderabad and India.
