Gig Workers to Go on Nationwide Strike Today; Service Disruptions Expected Across India

The Wire Staff

Meanwhile, food delivery platforms Zomato and Swiggy have announced higher incentives for delivery partners on New Year’s Eve, describing the move as part of a “standard festive protocol”.

Representational image of gig workers in Bengaluru. Photo: X/@aigwu_union.



New Delhi: The Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT) and the Gig and Platform Service Workers’ Union (GPSWU) have called for a nationwide strike on Wednesday (December 31) to protest against the unsafe working conditions of gig workers and low payouts.

The call comes after similar action on Christmas Day that disrupted services. Residents across the country, including Delhi-NCR may experience delays and order cancellations on New Year’s Eve, a day that usually sees the highest demand in the year for both food delivery and transport applications.

The unions have raised concerns over the “10-minute delivery trap” and the lack of social security for those labelled as independent partners. “We are not considered for the risks that come along with the work,” a representative for IFAT told The Hindu. The federation alleged that accidents and medical bills are often treated as personal expenses rather than workplace liabilities.

Moreover, many workers have cited significant financial distress. For instance, speaking to The Hindu, Nadeem, a 30-year-old worker from Chandni Chowk, stated that he was left without assistance after a road accident ten months ago left him in a coma for three months. “I spent over Rs 1 lakh for the treatment, and the company has not provided any support,” Nadeem alleged.

Earnings also remain a central grievance. Aman, a delivery partner from Jafrabad, noted that he earned only Rs 263 after delivering 11 orders over seven hours on Monday (December 29). “The app algorithm is abrupt and not fixed,” Aman told The Hindu, adding that while earnings can occasionally reach Rs 1,000 a day, it requires working up to 12 hours.

In the ride-hailing sector, workers also pointed out to the burden of platform fees. “You can avoid this charge only by purchasing the company’s incentives,” Prabhat Kumar Verma, a ride-hailing captain, told TH, adding that at least 13% per ride is charged as platform fee. However, net earnings still remain low due to fuel and maintenance costs, he allegednt

The Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) has also urged the Union and state labour ministers to intervene. “We urge the Hon’ble Centre and State Labour Ministers to urgently act on gig workers’ issues – unfair payouts, unsafe 10-minute delivery models and arbitrary ID blocking,” the union stated in a post on X.

Seema Singh, president of GPSWU, has called on all app-based workers and online freelancers to participate in the strike by shutting down their applications on December 31. The collective action is expected to affect services on platforms including Zomato, Swiggy, Zepto, Blinkit, Amazon, and Flipkart.

Meanwhile, food delivery platforms Zomato and Swiggy have announced higher incentives for delivery partners on New Year’s Eve, describing the move as part of a “standard festive protocol”. Zomato said it will offer delivery partners payouts ranging from Rs 120 to Rs 150 per order during peak hours between 6 pm and 12 am on December 31, according to reports.

Similarly, Swiggy is offering delivery partners the opportunity to earn up to Rs 10,000 across December 31 and January 1. For New Year’s Eve specifically, the company is advertising peak-hour earnings of up to Rs 2,000 during the six-hour window from 6 pm to midnight, when order volumes are typically at their highest, sources told news agency PTI.