Zomato executives on strike against delivering beef, pork; WB minister assures action

Kolkata, Aug 11: The online food tech company, Zomato has recently been in news for the wrong reasons. In yet another controversy, Food delivery executives of Zomato are on strike in Howrah in West Bengal, alleging that they were compelled to deliver beef and pork.

Speaking to news agency ANI, the employees said that Zomato was not listening to their demands.

Delivery boys belonging to both Hindu as well as the Muslim community have refused to deliver beef or pork during the festive celebrations of Bakrid or Eid al-Adha to be celebrated this week on Monday.

They have put forward two of their demands. One is a pay hike and the other that the company must stop playing with the religious sentiment of their employees.

The employees have reportedly, informed their higher authorities but there is no response from them until now.

Mousin Akhtar, a Zomato food delivery man, said, "Muslim restaurants have recently been added to the online food delivery application, but we have Hindu deliverers who refuse to deliver beef. a few days that we have to deliver pork, which we refuse to deliver, we also have payment problems and have less medical means, all of which are detrimental to the fraternal bond that exists between us because we have to deliver food products Unauthorized by our religion Our religious feeling is hurt The company knows everything, but despite ourselves, it uses false claims against us. "

Meanwhile, West Bengal minister and a TMC MLA from Howrah, Rajib Banerjee came out in support of the delivery staff on this issue and said, "I too feel that the organization performing such act should think about their action once again. They should not force any sect to go against the rules of their religion. This is very wrong. We had no idea about such actions. Since we have been approached, we shall surely take action against such deeds."

Zomato had recently found itself in the centre of a huge controversy after its PR stunt on July 31 backfired miserably. In reply to one of its customers who demanded his order be cancelled as the delivery boy was a Muslim, Zomato quoted the tweet and said, "Food doesn't have a religion."

Raged by the hypocrisy, people had slammed Zomato for the stark contrast in the manner in which it deals with the grievances of different religious communities.