According to media reports, around a thousand Blinkit delivery executives in the national capital region have joined competing quick-commerce firms such as Swiggy Instamart, Zepto, and BB Now in protest of a recent change in payout structure.
Blinkit, which is owned by Zomato, stated earlier this month that it would pay delivery executives a minimum of Rs 15 each trip with a distance-brd component, instead of a fixed Rs 25 per delivery and a peak-hour incentive of Rs 7 per trip. Blinkit delivery workers have been opposing the adjustment, claiming that it affects their salaries.
The protest forced the closure of multiple Blinkit dark stores, or tiny warehouses, in Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Faridabad, and Ghaziabad for a few days. Despite the company's efforts to restore operations, many dark storefronts in Delhi and Gurgaon remain closed to customers due to a shortage of delivery personnel. Blinkit operates over 200 of these warehouses in the Delhi-NCR area, from which it distributes goods to customers within a 2-3 km radius of each store.
Last week, the company also distributed a special 10-day incentive-brd rate card for some locations in Delhi and Noida, stating that delivery executives may earn between Rs 700 and Rs 1200 if specific order milestones were met.
The business also de-registered many Blinkit riders the same week. Delivery executives in Gurgaon and Delhi reported receiving a notice on the Blinkit delivery partner app notifying them that some outlets were being closed due to a lack of activity in the previous three to four days.
The delivery executive's registration with the platform had been terminated, according to the notification. Almost 100 Blinkit stores were forced to temporarily close due to the protest. However, they reopened last week.