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CNA
35 minutes ago
- CNA
Despair, frustration and helplessness among delivery riders over foreigners working illegally in their midst
SINGAPORE: For some time now, part-time delivery rider Alvin Lim has noticed fellow riders who he suspected were foreigners working illegally in food delivery. Last September, the 33-year-old tried to take matters into his own hands. 'At that time, there were so many of them — around five to six riders — just at Serangoon Nex on a daily basis. They were all riding e-bikes." 'One other rider from Serangoon called the police on one of them, and a report was taken. We also submitted all the information to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM),' he said, claiming that they were here on student passes. 'Even after the police report, they continued operating, but became more cautious. They started hiding their faces and avoided going to Nex,' said Mr Lim, then adding that they have reappeared in recent weeks around the area. He is not alone in feeling frustrated over the issue. Speaking to CNA, several platform workers expressed their outrage over the lack of action taken against these foreigners illegally performing delivery jobs. There is a sense of resignation and helplessness – reports to the authorities did not stem the tide of these workers, and led them to believe that it was impossible to stop them from competing with them for the same pool of delivery jobs. 'What's there to be angry about? Can't control this. Many drivers have complained before and they are finally doing something,' said one delivery rider who wanted to be known only by his surname Chow. CNA has reported the illegal use of delivery accounts from as early as 2023, when it found multiple listings on online marketplace Carousell advertising Deliveroo and foodpanda rider accounts for sale. On Friday (Jul 4), the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) said that a trilateral workgroup is being formed to address the issue. The workgroup will involve Grab Singapore, MOM and the Ministry of Transport (MOT), who will work with NTUC and its affiliated associations. The group will collectively address platform workers' challenges and safeguard their well-being in view of the rapidly evolving economy, MOM and MOT said in a joint statement on Friday. It will be overseen by Senior Minister of State for Health and Manpower Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State for National Development and Transport Sun Xueling, NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng, and Grab Group Managing Director of Operations Yee Wee Tang. Only Singapore citizens and permanent residents (PRs) are allowed to work as delivery riders for companies like Grab, Deliveroo and foodpanda. NTUC noted in its press release that foreigners who perform delivery jobs without work permits create illegal or unfair competition for delivery workers, directly impacting their earnings. Apart from this tripartite effort, a group of delivery food riders will be meeting privately with Workers' Party secretary-general Pritam Singh in the following days too, according to some gig workers who reached out to CNA. STRONG COMPETITION FOR LIMITED JOBS With less people ordering food delivery now compared to the past when the economy was doing better, Mr A Kenji, a delivery rider for six years, felt that illegal riders have also increased competition in the space. 'It feels like there are only 50 pieces of cake but 200 people fighting for them.' 'This undercuts fair competition and drivers' earnings down for everyone else,' he said. 'We are trying hard to feed (our) own family so when this kind of people start to break (the) law it is difficult for us.' Other delivery riders echoed his sentiments, saying that it is unfair to have to compete with foreigners working illegally. 'I do the work and work from morning to evening and I have to split with illegal workers, do you think that is fair?' Ms Tracy Chan, a full-time food delivery rider of five years, asked. Asked how they knew that these riders were working illegally, delivery riders said they suspect that some had "borrowed" existing accounts from legitimate account holders, and in exchange, given them a cut of their earnings. Ms Chan, 55, told CNA in Mandarin that accounts that go dormant for a long time and suddenly become active could indicate fraudulent usage. Fellow rider Muhammad Irfan Abdul Rahim, 24, who has been on the job just as long, said that these suspicious delivery riders have been flagged before in a chat group comprising riders around his Serangoon area. He said the suspicious riders keep to themselves as their mannerisms and accents give them away as foreigners. Other delivery riders who have encountered foreigners working illegally told CNA that they are also identifiable by their facial features and motorbikes bearing Malaysian licence plates. 'From time to time, I notice riders on Malaysian-registered motorcycles carrying large delivery bags. Often, these riders seem unfamiliar with our roads and behave as though they are in a rush to avoid being stopped,' said Mr Kenji. 'Ever since more and more illegal riders started doing food delivery, I have personally felt anxious when I see other riders beating red lights or cutting across lanes abruptly, because everyone wants to complete their drop-offs quickly and fight for the next job,' he told CNA. UNAUTHORISED RIDE-HAILING AND ILLEGAL HITCH DRIVERS NTUC had also flagged the issue of illegal hitch services, such as unauthorised ride-hailing services operating through messaging apps like Telegram which directly impact workers' earnings. "These illegal services undercut legitimate platform workers' job opportunities, creating unfair competition that affects workers' ability to earn sustainable earnings," NTUC said. 'Illegal drivers will mean there are less passengers for legit drivers, aside from being outright dangerous as they may not have undertaken proper training,' Mr Nash Tan, a full-time Grab driver said. 'A good part of our passengers are tourists. Providing safe means of transport equals upholding the nation's reputation of being safe, and protects livelihood for legitimate drivers,' he added. Another full-time driver, Mr Andy Lim, voiced his frustration over the growing competition in an already saturated market. 'I don't have a whole piece of cake and the market is not big ... if you add the illegal ones they will eat into the pie.' 'If the demand is 100 calls per day it will remain at 100 calls unless it's the weekend. The market is already like that. If other drivers come in it will eat into the 100 calls,' he added. The 50-year-old sees roughly 15 calls on a seven-hour shift, averaging about two jobs an hour. WHY THIS MATTERS TO PLATFORM WORKERS If illegal platform workers continue to increase the total number of workers in the sector, both earnings and the availability of work for Singaporeans will decline, said associate professor Walter Theseira, a transport economist from the Singapore University of Social Sciences. 'However, this effect comes about largely from the expansion of supply, and is no different from what would happen if more Singaporeans decided to enter the sector,' he said. In terms of safety, Assoc Prof Theseira said that there could be 'potential risks' if an account holder allows foreigners to illegally use their accounts as personal data can be easily accessed. There will also be risks to delivery recipients, he added. 'Part of what ensures safety in the system is being able to trace the identity of the delivery agent, which won't be possible when a different person is using the account.' Welcoming the formation of the workgroup as an overdue move, delivery riders suggested several measures to curb the illicit use of platform accounts. Ms Chan and Mr Irfan suggested random physical checks on delivery riders while they are out and about on the job. Ms Chan referred to how a particular platform used to have staff members who checked on delivery riders years ago, adding that the platform could bring back such enforcers. Mr Irfan said that the MOM could deploy enforcement officers for the task, pointing to how the ministry had the authority to conduct enforcement activity in other sectors. Mr Alvin Lim said that the authorities needed to investigate how foreigners who misuse delivery accounts obtain their accounts, and how they were bypassing the platforms' checks. 'What I hope the authorities can do is enforce the laws they have set. If the law only allows Singaporeans and PRs to work as food delivery riders, then there needs to be active enforcement. Otherwise, the rules are meaningless,' he said. There have already been improvements to combat this problem, said delivery rider Kelvin Lee, who has noticed platforms have introduced face verification. 'So it's going to be very, very troublesome for foreigners to do delivery using other people's accounts. (They would) have to meet up everyday to log in.'
CNA
2 hours ago
- CNA
Despair, frustration and helplessness among platform workers over foreigners working illegally in their midst
SINGAPORE: For some time now, part-time delivery rider Alvin Lim has noticed fellow riders who he suspected were foreigners working illegally in food delivery. Last September, the 33-year-old tried to take matters into his own hands. 'At that time, there were so many of them — around five to six riders — just at Serangoon Nex on a daily basis. They were all riding e-bikes." 'One other rider from Serangoon called the police on one of them, and a report was taken. We also submitted all the information to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM),' he said, claiming that they were here on student passes. 'Even after the police report, they continued operating, but became more cautious. They started hiding their faces and avoided going to Nex,' said Mr Lim, then adding that they have reappeared in recent weeks around the area. He is not alone in feeling frustrated over the issue. Speaking to CNA, several platform workers expressed their outrage over the lack of action taken against these foreigners illegally performing delivery jobs. There is a sense of resignation and helplessness – reports to the authorities did not stem the tide of these workers, and led them to believe that it was impossible to stop them from competing with them for the same pool of delivery jobs. 'What's there to be angry about? Can't control this. Many drivers have complained before and they are finally doing something,' said one delivery rider who wanted to be known only by his surname Chow. CNA has reported the illegal use of delivery accounts from as early as 2023, when it found multiple listings on online marketplace Carousell advertising Deliveroo and foodpanda rider accounts for sale. On Friday (Jul 4), the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) said that a trilateral workgroup is being formed to address the issue. The workgroup will involve Grab Singapore, MOM and the Ministry of Transport (MOT), who will work with NTUC and its affiliated associations. The group will collectively address platform workers' challenges and safeguard their well-being in view of the rapidly evolving economy, MOM and MOT said in a joint statement on Friday. It will be overseen by Senior Minister of State for Health and Manpower Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State for National Development and Transport Sun Xueling, NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng, and Grab Group Managing Director of Operations Yee Wee Tang. Only Singapore citizens and permanent residents (PRs) are allowed to work as delivery riders for companies like Grab, Deliveroo and foodpanda. NTUC noted in its press release that foreigners who perform delivery jobs without work permits create illegal or unfair competition for delivery workers, directly impacting their earnings. Apart from this tripartite effort, a group of delivery food riders will be meeting privately with Workers' Party secretary-general Pritam Singh in the following days too, according to some gig workers who reached out to CNA. STRONG COMPETITION FOR LIMITED JOBS With less people ordering food delivery now compared to the past when the economy was doing better, Mr A Kenji, a delivery rider for six years, felt that illegal riders have also increased competition in the space. 'It feels like there are only 50 pieces of cake but 200 people fighting for them.' 'This undercuts fair competition and drivers' earnings down for everyone else,' he said. 'We are trying hard to feed (our) own family so when this kind of people start to break (the) law it is difficult for us.' Other delivery riders echoed his sentiments, saying that it is unfair to have to compete with foreigners working illegally. 'I do the work and work from morning to evening and I have to split with illegal workers, do you think that is fair?' Ms Tracy Chan, a full-time food delivery rider of five years, asked. Asked how they knew that these riders were working illegally, delivery riders said they suspect that some had "borrowed" existing accounts from legitimate account holders, and in exchange, given them a cut of their earnings. Ms Chan, 55, told CNA in Mandarin that accounts that go dormant for a long time and suddenly become active could indicate fraudulent usage. Fellow rider Muhammad Irfan Abdul Rahim, 24, who has been on the job just as long, said that these suspicious delivery riders have been flagged before in a chat group comprising riders around his Serangoon area. He said the suspicious riders keep to themselves as their mannerisms and accents give them away as foreigners. Other delivery riders who have encountered foreigners working illegally told CNA that they are also identifiable by their facial features and motorbikes bearing Malaysian licence plates. 'From time to time, I notice riders on Malaysian-registered motorcycles carrying large delivery bags. Often, these riders seem unfamiliar with our roads and behave as though they are in a rush to avoid being stopped,' said Mr Kenji. 'Ever since more and more illegal riders started doing food delivery, I have personally felt anxious when I see other riders beating red lights or cutting across lanes abruptly, because everyone wants to complete their drop-offs quickly and fight for the next job,' he told CNA. UNAUTHORISED RIDE-HAILING AND ILLEGAL HITCH DRIVERS NTUC had also flagged the issue of illegal hitch services, such as unauthorised ride-hailing services operating through messaging apps like Telegram which directly impact workers' earnings. "These illegal services undercut legitimate platform workers' job opportunities, creating unfair competition that affects workers' ability to earn sustainable earnings," NTUC said. 'Illegal drivers will mean there are less passengers for legit drivers, aside from being outright dangerous as they may not have undertaken proper training,' Mr Nash Tan, a full-time Grab driver said. 'A good part of our passengers are tourists. Providing safe means of transport equals upholding the nation's reputation of being safe, and protects livelihood for legitimate drivers,' he added. Another full-time driver, Mr Andy Lim, voiced his frustration over the growing competition in an already saturated market. 'I don't have a whole piece of cake and the market is not big ... if you add the illegal ones they will eat into the pie.' 'If the demand is 100 calls per day it will remain at 100 calls unless it's the weekend. The market is already like that. If other drivers come in it will eat into the 100 calls,' he added. The 50-year-old sees roughly 15 calls on a seven-hour shift, averaging about two jobs an hour. WHY THIS MATTERS TO PLATFORM WORKERS If illegal platform workers continue to increase the total number of workers in the sector, both earnings and the availability of work for Singaporeans will decline, said associate professor Walter Theseira, a transport economist from the Singapore University of Social Sciences. 'However, this effect comes about largely from the expansion of supply, and is no different from what would happen if more Singaporeans decided to enter the sector,' he said. In terms of safety, Assoc Prof Theseira said that there could be 'potential risks' if an account holder allows foreigners to illegally use their accounts as personal data can be easily accessed. There will also be risks to delivery recipients, he added. 'Part of what ensures safety in the system is being able to trace the identity of the delivery agent, which won't be possible when a different person is using the account.' Welcoming the formation of the workgroup as an overdue move, delivery riders suggested several measures to curb the illicit use of platform accounts. Ms Chan and Mr Irfan suggested random physical checks on delivery riders while they are out and about on the job. Ms Chan referred to how a particular platform used to have staff members who checked on delivery riders years ago, adding that the platform could bring back such enforcers. Mr Irfan said that the MOM could deploy enforcement officers for the task, pointing to how the ministry had the authority to conduct enforcement activity in other sectors. Mr Alvin Lim said that the authorities needed to investigate how foreigners who misuse delivery accounts obtain their accounts, and how they were bypassing the platforms' checks. 'What I hope the authorities can do is enforce the laws they have set. If the law only allows Singaporeans and PRs to work as food delivery riders, then there needs to be active enforcement. Otherwise, the rules are meaningless,' he said. There have already been improvements to combat this problem, said delivery rider Kelvin Lee, who has noticed platforms have introduced face verification. 'So it's going to be very, very troublesome for foreigners to do delivery using other people's accounts. (They would) have to meet up everyday to log in.'
CNA
3 hours ago
- CNA
Finland stabbing suspect says chose victims randomly: police
HELSINKI, Finland: The suspect in a stabbing attack that wounded four near a Finnish shopping centre this week said he chose his victims randomly and believed he was being stalked, police said Friday (Jul 4). The 23-year-old suspect, a Finnish man, admitted to the Thursday violence and said he did not know the victims and did not choose them for any particular reason, police added. There was "no reason to suspect that the act was motivated by terrorism or racism", said police, noting the man had a record of violent crime. The suspect told investigators that "all humans are enemies" and that "everyone is stalking him", Detective Chief Inspector Sakari Tuominen told reporters on Friday. The suspect also said that "people get what they ask for" and that "he wanted to end his own suffering with this act". "The motive will be clarified during the preliminary investigation through interviews," Tuominen said. Police were alerted to the stabbing outside a shopping centre in central Tampere at 4.23pm (9.23pm, Singapore time) on Thursday. The victims received first aid at the scene and were now receiving hospital care for "severe injuries", according to police, though none of the victims had life-threatening injuries. The suspect put up no resistance as he was arrested at the scene carrying a knife, police said. Police were proceeding with an investigation into four counts of alleged attempted murder. Tuominen added that the 23-year-old had a criminal record, including stabbing a person in 2023 and three counts of aggravated robbery while carrying a knife in 2020. Finnish media on Friday also reported that police believed the man may have planned the act for a long period of time. Police have requested the suspect be remanded in custody and a court hearing is scheduled for Monday.
