Delivery riders a "textbook case of big business capitalising profits and socialising risk"

Daniel Puchert

Daniel Puchert

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Big tax problem with Sixty60 and Uber Eats

On-demand delivery services in South Africa not only disregard the safety of their motorcycle riders but could also be placing a bigger burden on taxpayers.

That is the view of Driving.co.za managing director Rob Handfield-Jones, who regards the use of contracted motorcycle riders as a "textbook case of big business capitalising profits and socialising risk."
 
The article has a few valid points, globally big business has cottoned on to the fact that employing people as independent contractors and not employees is far cheaper, no need to pay sick leave/leave/medical aid/benefits, hence more profits for them and less money in the pockets of the working class - big win!!!

That society at large does not benefit from this is besides the point, capitalism is all that matters, no one wants to be a communist so the slave class assumes the position and lets the rich folk have their wicked way with them.
 
They've been around for 10 years did Rob just came out of a cave?
 
SARS doesn't care for 2 reasons:

1) These riders earn below the tax threshold so even if they were normal PAYE employees, there would be no tax to collect anyway.

2) SARS only cares about the difference between employment and self-employment (independent contractors) in so far as it concerns the obligation of an employer to deduct tax from the earnings of the person concerned. The Department of Labour is responsible for caring about whether a person is a proper employee or an independent contractor for the purposes of labour regulations and exploitation.
 
The South African government socialised the risks with the RAF. Not the ebil capitalists.
 
felixbf said:
Another thing, none of these companies provide undercover parking for the drivers for the rainy days. Dudes just stand in the rain in winter waiting for their next order to deliver.
Click to expand...

Have any melted yet?
 
felixbf said:
If they did, we would not know...would we...
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I sure the "folks" giving input, into this "story", are doing so out of the goodness of their hearts, not because they are trying their damndest, to add these poor suckers, who are employed as delivery drivers to their income stream, in one or other capacity.
 
i did see a road rage incident a week ago, where a delivery driver was busy being beaten up by the owner of a vehicle, because the driver drove into the back of his BMW, breaking the tail light. Car driver busy beating him up with his bike helmet, while up the road was the woman outside waiting for her order, and then the car driver pushing over the delivery bike in his rage.

Are you willing to do that drive for R30 per trip, where you not only have to pay for the bike, and also have to pay for service and fuel?

They really need to be classed as employees, because the only choice they have is to work taking the orders irrespective of where, and have to work set hours each day, at a place determined by the delivery chain. refuse an order and get no more work effectively firing you, and no protection against being robbed, assaulted or killed on the job either.
 
This is happening with any business that offers a delivery service. Takelot deliveries with Datsun Go's/ Nissan Tiiiiiida's where every panel, even the roof has dents, tannies and oom's delivering Romans pizza with their cars to survive and of course the hundreds of delivery bikes that are held together with wire, scotch tape and hopes and dreams.
 
Mekon said:
This is happening with any business that offers a delivery service. Takelot deliveries with Datsun Go's/ Nissan Tiiiiiida's where every panel, even the roof has dents, tannies and oom's delivering Romans pizza with their cars to survive and of course the hundreds of delivery bikes that are held together with wire, scotch tape and hopes and dreams.
Click to expand...

The Folks, doing their utmost, to not be part of the unemployment queue.
 
The actual risks highlighted in the article are misleading by insinuating sars is responsible because it is a "tax" problem due to the spending of tax money on social/medical services, the problems are really lack of law enforcement from the police. The drivers/riders are still "employed", just not directly by checkers sixty60. Having checkers directly employ the drivers doesn't fix bad driving, it just provides a more clearer target for a lawsuit and insurance claims from accidents which would likely result in checkers firing the driver instead of paying for driver training.

Sidenote, it seems independent contractors under the payroll of the employing company are taxed at 25%.
 
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