A BILL seeking to protect independent couriers who deliver goods for e-commerce companies has been filed at the House by Rep. Bernadette Herrera (Bagong Henerasyon party-list group).
House Bill 7559 or the proposed “Magna Carta of E-Commerce Delivery Personnel” provides that “it shall be unlawful for any customer to cancel confirmed orders if the items have already been paid by the delivery rider, is in possession of the delivery driver, or in transit to the customer.”
Violators with face a jail term of one to three months and a fine ranging from P10,000 to P50,000.
Herrera said it is “only right and just” to provide wider protection to delivery riders, who have become “inadvertent frontliners” in the fight against COVID-19.
“In order to increase efficiency and protect the welfare of delivery riders whose lives put at stake to keep us safe within our homes, this bill seeks to provide more secure measures to these service providers and penalize those who unreasonably and inconveniently cancel their orders upon delivery,” Herrera said.
Herrera cited a growing number of cases in which customers cancel their orders upon delivery even if the e-commerce courier has already paid and prepared the items in advance.
“As a result, the delivery rider loses precious time and money, while they are stuck with the customer’s canceled order,” Herrera said, noting that a typical delivery driver earns a meager monthly salary of P15,000 to P20,000.
The bill also seeks to ensure the safety and welfare of delivery contractors by promoting cashless payment for home deliveries and penalizing cancellation of cash-on delivery (COD) transactions.
“Cancellations for cash deliveries create a triple burden for the delivery riders as they waste time, shoulder expenses, and expose themselves to the dangers of being infected,” she said.