How much Checkers Sixty60 drivers earn
Updated | By Breakfast with Martin Bester
Ever wondered how much Checkers Sixty60 drivers earn? Well, it might be a little more complicated than you think.
Checkers Sixty60 has taken South Africa by storm.
Their teal bikes can be spotted no matter where you are, and the delivery service has become synonymous with many online jokes and memes.
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It has also changed the way people shop, giving consumers a more efficient and convenient way of getting groceries to their doorstep.
Although it has made the lives of millions of people a lot more convenient, have you ever wondered what it's like to be a Sixty60 rider or perhaps how much they earn?
In recent months, many complaints and allegations surrounding the treatment of these delivery men and women have surfaced.
One of the biggest complaints is that they are not regarded as employees and are sometimes severely underpaid.
According to TopAuto, Sixty60 delivery drivers are regarded as "independent contractors" and not permanent employees of the brand.
"Drivers are independent contractors; drivers receive a fee based on their contractual agreement to render a service and are therefore not salaried employees," according to the company.
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Checkers outsources all of the delivery platform’s logistics to its partner, Pingo, a joint venture between Shoprite (Checker’s parent company) and RTT Logistics.
Democratic Alliance MP and attorney Michael Bagraim has criticised this, saying that it could promote risky behaviour and pressure riders to be on the road, working, more than they probably should.
"They get no benefits whatsoever, and they have no protection of our labour law," said Bagraim.
"It forces the purported employees to take as many trips as possible, putting their lives in danger," he told GroundUp.
How much they get paid
MyBroadband recently reported on the payment these riders receive, with a former Sixty60 operator spilling the beans.
According to the anonymous individual who worked at a Checkers in Mossel Bay from September 2022 until February 2024, riders typically earn around R7,600 monthly.
But here's where things get tricky.
Checkers Sixty60 riders allegedly encountered difficulty when Pingo announced the removal of the R350 minimum daily fee that drivers would receive regardless of how many trips they made.
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This led to a stay-away strike, and the minimum daily fee was luckily reinstated.
The anonymous former worker explained that the typical R7,600 monthly earnings includes this R350 daily fee.
However, MyBroadband also reported that riders allegedly have to cover their own fuel costs and bike rental expenses.
"The fuel costs amounted to R3,200 per month, and the bike rental was R400 per week, leaving Rider A with R2,800 in net monthly earnings."
According to MyBroadband, the minimum fee was allegedly removed again soon after the first strike, leading to another stay away strike.
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