Delivery executives of the popular food aggregator and delivery app, Zomato, will begin an indefinite strike in Kolkata from Monday, protesting against delivering food containing beef and pork.
The executives decided to go on a strike citing that handling food containing beef and pork hurts their religious sentiments. This strike comes during the week of Bakrid or Eid al-Adha, a religious holiday for those who follow Islam.
The protestors, including both Hindu and Muslim delivery executives, say that Zomato has not considered or replied to their demands.
Talking to ANI, the delivery executives aid, "The company is not listening to our demands & forcing us to deliver beef & pork against our will. We have been on strike for a week now."
"Recently some Muslim restaurants have been added to the online food delivery app. But we have some Hindu delivery boy who are denying to delivery beef. And it's been heard that in few days we have to deliver Pork, which we refuse to deliver. We are also facing payout issues and have least medical facilities," Mousin Akhtar, a food delivery executive was quoted as saying by India Today.
Another Hindu food delivery executive said that the company is not taking their religious feelings into account. Bajraj Nath Brahma, another delivery executive told India Today, " I am Hindu. There are also other fellow delivery boys who are Muslim. We have no issues in working together."
"Zomato has presently tied up with some new restaurants that are repelling us to work under any circumstances and we cannot cancel any order at any cost. If any of us deny delivering any particular food then this would fall under denial dispute which would be followed up by the manager. The Muslims are equally feeling hurt with this decision as we Hindus are. The company is hurting our religious sentiment. We want this to be stopped immediately. Hence from Monday, we have stopped our service," added Brahma.
Ironically, this strike comes just weeks after Zomato clapped back at a customer who wanted to cancel an order because his delivery executive was a non-Hindu. When the customer took to Twitter to complain, Zomato replied food has no religion, since food is religion.
