E-Paper
International Labour Day: In Lucknow, food delivery executive with 90% paralysis slogs for wage parity
Although Vinod has never let his physical condition come in the way of his work, he feels he has been given the short end of the stick as he cannot walk or ride a motorbike.
LUCKNOW If you live in (or around) Indira Nagar, you may have noticed Vinod cutting through heavy traffic to deliver food orders on his tricycle.
Struck by polio in his very childhood, 29-year-old Vinod Kumar Verma suffers from 90% paralysis, containing his ability to walk or ride a motorbike. Despite his physical disability, Vinod never shies away from going the extra mile to make a few more bucks for his wife and two school-going children because, in his world, every penny counts.
A food delivery executive by profession, Vinod wakes up early in the morning to drop his kids at school and works round the clock to put food on the table. Although Vinod has never let his physical condition come in the way of his work, he feels he has been given the short end of the stick as he cannot walk or ride a motorbike.
“I am paid ₹45 for covering 5 km while others get ₹58 for the same distance. I am paid lesser because of my inability to reach the destination quickly as compared to other delivery partners. I have raised this issue with the company several times but never got any satisfactory response,” said Vinod.
Like Vinod, his wife, Sushila, is also specially-abled. They have two sons --- a 3-year-old and a 10-year-old. “I drop my children to schools on this tricycle itself. It was given to me by the state government,” added Vinod. On being asked about his monthly income, Vinod said, “I am paid weekly. In all, I make about ₹7,000-8,000 per month. We are somehow managing things. The only satisfaction is that my father built a house in Gazipur, Indira Nagar. So, I don’t have to worry about paying rent.”
Before taking up the role of a delivery executive, Vinod, an Intermediate pass, used to sell CDs and DVDs by the roadside. However, the outbreak of the Covid pandemic ruined his business and he was forced to shut shop. “For the last two years, I have been working in two shifts to provide for my family. Delivering on motorcycles is much easier and takes less time but the tricycle is all I have. Therefore, remuneration parity would be a great help,” said Vinod.
‘A new-age labourer’
Apart from low wages, Vinod also has to deal with angry consumers who often yell at him for taking a little longer to deliver their orders. “I think of myself as a new-age labourer. Sometimes, I face customers’ outbursts. Some of them even downgrade my rating, hurting me financially,” said Vinod.
He added, “Problems arise when I am asked to deliver products at doorsteps in high-rise buildings. Many customers refuse to come downstairs. Even though several customers give me a 5-star rating, which adds to my incentive, the company tends to deduct them even if a single customer complaints against me.”
When asked about his dream, Vinod, donning a modest smile, said, “I wished to become an engineer as a kid but my conditions made that dream far-fetched. Now, I just want my kids to do well and hopefully, become an engineer.”
