At a time when ride-hailing drivers have decided to wage wars against industry giants such Uber and Lyft over the legal construction of their working relationships, Yassir Maroc has decided to collaborate with Moroccan comedian Rachid Rafik to pay tribute to its delivery men and thank them for their daily efforts.
“Aware of the risks they run and the difficulties they encounter on a daily basis, Yassir Maroc wished to pay tribute to its delivery men, by producing video clips which will be dedicated to them and which will be broadcast on the social networks of the startup,” the company said in a statement.
How Would The Plan Work?
- Starting from April 7, 2021, Yassir Maroc’s deliverymen would be able to see videos across the startup’s website, praising their efforts.
- The videos to be championed by Moroccan comedian Rachid Rafik, is aimed at stressing the fact that despite the risks of contamination by Covid-19 or even bad weather, such as the floods that Morocco had recently, delivery people continue to transport groceries and meals.
“Delivering meals to your home is not an easy job. The delivery people are under constant pressure, and we are fully aware of this,” noted the general manager of Yassir in Morocco, Rachid Moulay El Rhazi, quoted in the press release.
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“However, these delivery people have been on the front line since the start of the pandemic,” he observed, explaining that “this is the reason why we wanted to thank them and pay tribute to them through video clips in collaboration with comedian Rachid Rafik that will be broadcast soon.”
- Currently, more than 642 delivery people work with Yassir Maroc and are spread over 5 cities namely Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier, Agadir and Marrakech. And since Yassir Maroc aims to be a startup that promotes entrepreneurship, all delivery men doing business with Yassir Maroc have the status of self-employed.
Learning The Hard Way
Attention to ride-hailing drivers shifted after the recent UK supreme court’s ruling reclassifying drivers as workers and not independent contractors or self-employed. Uber recently unveiled a $250 million stimulus package aimed at retaining as well as attracting new employees, as a result of the post-pandemic driver shortage.
“The $250 million driver stimulus will go directly to drivers who start driving again as well as new drivers who join Uber,” company spokesperson Kayla Whaling said. “The money will take the form of special bonuses and new guarantees. It will be in place for the next several months.”
Indeed, at a time when there are pent-up emotions against the entire gig economy model, it is only expected that startups device strategic means of engaging all stakeholders.
A Look At What Yassir Maroc Does
Founded in 2017, Yassir was quickly presented as a serious threat to Uber in the Middle East and North Africa. Yassir is currently present in 30 cities spread over 3 continents (Africa, Europe, and North America). The number of its users amounts to more than 1,500,000 people and has 10,000 partners. In Morocco, the Yassir company operates in five cities and plans to expand its activities to several areas.
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Although an American company, each Yassir subsidiary works independently in its territorial management and in accordance with the laws and regulations in force in each country where it operates. However, it collaborates with the other teams of the Yassir network. The teams that each subsidiary has are 100% local and multidisciplinary.
In April 2019, Yassir occupied the 3rd place in the list of the 100 most promising startups in the Arab world at the World Economic Forum.
Charles Rapulu Udoh
Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions.
He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance.
He is also an award-winning writer