A 51-year-old man has been charged after a fatal stabbing in Melbourne’s CBD on Friday that left another man injured.
The man is accused of tampering with two delivery drivers’ bikes on Frederick Way, near the Queen Victoria Market, just after 8pm.
Victoria Police said the pair confronted the man before a physical altercation occurred.
Father-of-two Feng Jianming was one of the delivery drivers and was allegedly stabbed during the confrontation.
The 47-year-old Chinese national died at the scene.
Feng Jianming died after the incident. (Melbourne Chinatown Business Association)
The second deliver driver, a 34-year-old man, suffered serious injuries.
He was taken to hospital where he remains, according to police.
The 51-year-old Footscray man has been charged with one count of murder and intentionally causing serious injury.
He is expected to appear before the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court today.
Chinese Consulate working with local authorities
The Chinese consulate in Melbourne said it was in contact with Mr Feng’s family and was working with relevant parties to facilitate arrangements.
“The Consulate-General is deeply saddened by the death of the compatriot and extends sincere condolences to the family,” it said in a statement.
The consulate said it would continue to communicate with local authorities and actively assist in “proper handling the aftermath”.
It called on Victoria Police to conduct a thorough investigation and “handle the case in accordance with the law and fairly”.
The consulate also called on the alleged offender to be “severely punished … as to effectively safeguard the lawful rights and interests of Chinese citizens”.
Floral tributes were placed outside the State Library as hundreds gathered for a vigil for Feng Jianming. (ABC News: Keira Proust )
An online fundraiser organised by the Melbourne Chinatown Business Association to support Mr Feng’s family with emergency travel, funeral arrangements and long-term financial support had raised more than $405,000 by this morning.
“For years, Brother Feng delivered food to our homes, workplaces and restaurants,” the association said.
“He was part of the everyday life of our city, even if many of us never knew his name.
“We cannot bring Brother Feng back, but together, we can help ease the burden on the family he worked so hard to support.”
HungryPanda, the company Mr Feng was carrying out a delivery for, said it was in contact with Mr Feng’s family and was helping to arrange visas to travel to Australia.
“The company will cover the family’s travel expenses, funeral costs and necessary related arrangements, alongside an additional financial support payment,” it said.
“We are seeking to contact the injured rider to understand his circumstances and offer appropriate assistance.”
Union investigating worker claims
Hundreds of people attended a vigil for Mr Feng on Saturday, many raising concerns about safety in the city.
Andrew Copolov from the Melbourne Gig Workers Hub echoed those concerns, and said it was not the first incident involving a delivery rider.
“This is a community that’s really exposed,” he told 774 ABC Melbourne.
“They’re out in the street, they don’t have spaces of their own and that’s a real shame, something that ought to be fixed.“
Victorian Premier Ben Carroll yesterday vowed to make “whatever changes are necessary” to improve the safety of gig economy workers.
“As premier I will ensure I do everything I can with the chief commissioner of Victoria Police that, no matter where you work, no matter where you shop, no matter where you live, that you are safe,” he said.
HungryPanda says it will meet with members in Melbourne to discuss safety concerns. (ABC News)
Transport Workers Union national secretary Michael Kaine said the union was speaking with the gig worker community about reported pressure they are under from HungryPanda to protect their deliveries.
“We have … received reports that workers are being penalised by the company for lost or stolen orders, putting them directly in harm’s way to protect their income, and are calling on urgent answers from HungryPanda,” he said.
He accused the company of “vicious and appalling tactics to silence workers and prevent them from taking action for fairer and safer work”.
“HungryPanda has legal obligations to do whatever it can to minimise risk as food delivery riders carry out their work,” he said.
“We are calling on WorkSafe to investigate whether it has failed in its duties here, as we have seen in the past with its failure to report a workplace death.”
The union referenced the 2020 death of Xiaojun Chen, 43, who was hit and killed in a bus crash in Sydney while working for the food delivery company.
It has called on WorkSafe to investigate whether the company has failed to properly assess and control risks to vulnerable workers and to investigate worker reports of being penalised for lost or stolen orders.
HungryPanda denies it has an “automatic” policy requiring workers to pay for stolen food.
“No rider should feel obliged to put themselves at risk to protect personal property, delivery equipment or food orders,” it said.
Source: www.abc.net.au
